This is why I am learning Latin

British spelling

Many moons ago, I was a teacher. That was way before a change of career to become a journalist. Back then, I was fascinated by the etymology of the words. I still am.

For those who may not know, etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

Etymologies are not definitions; they’re explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.

Thinking about this brought me a memory from a teacher who was working at a publishing house. He was a regular speaker at conferences organised by the publishing house.

Once, he said he had a dictionary of synonyms on his bedside table and that every night he read a few entries.

It amazed me back then and it still amazes me today.

Of course, those were the days when traditional dictionaries were still a common thing, when writing, teaching, and learning were all linked to good reading habits and with learning grammar and spelling properly.

Those were the days before GPT and that Grammarly AI software, when writing was exclusively a human skill.

But where was I?

Yes, why of all the languages I decided to learn Latin, a dead language used by no one. However, some knowledge of Latin becomes useful when learning any other language.

Did you know that about one-half of the words in modern English have been borrowed from Latin?

Studying Latin, with its highly organised grammar, makes us coordinate ideas, reflect on the various ways to say the same thing, and thus to write and speak better in English.

Perhaps what fascinates me the most about Latin is the word order and its flexibility. After I learned the correct word order, learning new words in Latin became a piece of cake.

To be honest, I think learning Latin is a lot of fun. In addition, learning any language keeps the brain active and healthy.

Surprisingly, I am not the only one who finds Latin a fascinating language to learn as a hobby. I have found groups, YouTube channels, podcasts, storytelling, and entire Websites dedicated to the teaching and practice of Latin.

Vatican City is the only country in which Latin is still an official language. I have been to Vatican City once, and that was before I decided to learn Latin.

If I go again in the future, I will certainly impress someone if I go to a café and order a cup of tea or gelato in Latin. How cool would that be?

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About the writer: Susan Fourtané is a science and technology journalist, professional writer, dead media archeologist, photography enthusiast, a free-spirited maverick, and sometimes a hermit. She travels capturing the essence of what she thinks it’s interesting.