http://www.totalcatholic.com/universe/index.php?news_id=1533&start=0&category_id=4&parent_id=0&arcyear=&arcmonth=
EU Could Revive Latin as a Working Language
Posted on August 29, 2006
By Jonathan Luxmoore: The Vatican's daily newspaper has called for Latin to be made the official working language of the European Union, after attempts by the new Finnish presidency to promote its use in EU departments.
"While Latin has been given up as a compulsory subject in schools over recent years, interest in the language is growing in Europe and other parts of the world," the semi-official L’Osservatore Romano said in a commentary.
"In these circumstances, it would constitute a suitable instrument for international communication."
The paper said a Latin-language news programme, Nuntii Latini, had been broadcast weekly for the past decade by YLE, Finland’s equivalent to the BBC, making the ancient Roman language "potentially contemporary."
It added that Latin formulations had been found for numerous modern phenomena, such autocinetica (motorway), supervenalicium (supermarket), fullonica electrica (washing machine) and pilae coriaceae lusor (soccer star).
Besides Finland, which has a tradition of classical scholarship, other countries have reported a growing interest in Latin, whose renewed use as a once-universal language has also been encouraged by the Catholic Church.
The Finnish government set up a weekly news summary in Latin when it first assumed the EU’s rotating presidency in 1999, and has repeated the service, alongside English, French and Swedish, since taking over the six-months presidency for its second term on 1 July.
Classics scholars have insisted use of the language would "turn EU jargon into poetry". As examples, they said the Common Agricultural Policy could be rendered as "Ratio communis agros colendi" (“common scheme for cultivating the fields&rdquo😉, while the EU's Acquis Communautaire, or body of laws and regulations, could be Latinised as "Corpus legum institutorumque iuris Europaei."
"Using Latin is a way of paying tribute to European civilisation and it serves to remind people of European society’s roots, stretching back to ancient times," explained Mia Lahti, editor of the Finnish presidency’s website.
"Latin isn't dead – it’s still very much in use in different forms across the world today. After all, Italians, French and Spaniards all speak a new form of Latin."
Several Italian newspapers have backed the L’Osservatore Romano proposal, while noting that Finland itself was never part of the Roman Empire.
Oh look who is suggesting it, the Vatican.
Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugQuite a few have trouble with English, let alone other languages.
Reason 2: Kids in British schools can't learn other languages.
I was taught Latin and French at school, but pretty much all of it is now forgotten due to lack of use.
lingua latina pulchra est. ehu, iam non parlo linguam latina. accipivi linguam latina in ludus meus.
The latin language is beautiful. Unfortunately, (literraly, "alas"😉 I do not speak latin now. I learned latin in school.
I think everyone should learn latin, or at least one ancient language.
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Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugWell english is the most versatile and 'biggest' (in terms of words) language on the planet and every one else learns it anyway, so what's the point, And I think you will find that the english would prove even more of a challenge than the french to convert to latin speakers.
Reason 2: Kids in British schools can't learn other languages.
Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugCourse they can: Je voudrais un pomme de terre see?, I learnt that at school...I can now boldly stride into France empowered with the knowledge of how to ask for apples and count to twenty! Had I have had another 5 years who knows what other phrases I could speak as well!
Reason 2: Kids in British schools can't learn other languages.