http://forum.catholic.org/viewtopic.php?t=4088 The aim of this course is to introduce novices to the workings of the Latin language. Hopefully, it will develop interest in the language to the point where the student will want to continue to make the study of Latin a constant pursuit. Latin has existed as a written language for over 2500 years. Its "classical" period extends from approximately 100 B.C. to 100 A.D. This is the period of Cicero, Caesar and Virgil. The grammar that we learn in school is based on the usage of that particular period. It remains as a sort of standard for all time, although Latin, while it was a still a "living" language evolved just like other languages. In the uneducated strata of society, it became Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian. But Latin continued to live and develop in educated circles, as it did in the Church, right into modern times. We sometimes hear the expression "Church Latin". Although there can be some justification for this, when the study of Latin is restricted to ecclesiastical texts, it is wrong to infer or presume that a special kind of Latin was used by the Church. As we said above, Latin, as a living language, evolved with the times and was also probably influenced even by the languages it gave rise to. But clerics, like other educated individuals, used the Latin that was current in their day. When Latin started going out of use even in learned circles, it became more and more identified with the Western Church. Since Latin was no longer spoken on a daily basis, it stopped evolving, and the writers of Church documents began to follow the classical models that they had studied in school. Today, although new words have been invented to keep up with modern realities, Church documents are written in the purest of classical Latin. There are many reasons for the renewed interest in Latin. One of them is the growing popularity of Gregorian Chant, which cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the words that inspired it. But you need no reason at all to apply your mind to any worthy object. Latin is surely one of them. -- http://mail.tku.edu.tw/cfshih/ln/ --

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