The dead language-Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages (Wikipedia). It is the official language of the Holy See, the working language of the Roman Rota and its public journal Acta Apostolicae Sedis. Latin has transcended throughout history to become the most influential language and has given birth to several major languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and English. Latin is immune to the frequent changes experienced by other living languages whose word meanings are manipulated and distorted. It has metamorphosed through the centuries since; Ancient-Classical-Vulgar-Medieval-Renaissance-New and up to recent Contemporary Latin. Of famous quotes and phrases, science & amp; arts, law and literature, Latin has had a profound influence throughout human history, ensuring its survival for millennia to come.
From countries, institutions, military organizations, movies and media, the influence of the language is felt in all sectors of our society. (Portus cale) – warm port in Latin is where Portugal derives its name; similarly, Egypt comes from (Aegyptus), which means the land under the Aegean Sea in Latin, and the Latin name for Switzerland is (Confoederatio Helvetica) and takes its short form helvetia on their coins and stamps. (A mari usque ad mare) – From sea to sea is the official motto of Canada, with the adoption of the US state of Missouri. Being from Virginia (Montani semper liberi) – Mountaineers are always free. The Royal Air Force of Great Britain (Per ardua ad astra)- Through adversity/struggle towards the stars is its official motto, the United States Marine Corps adopts the phrase (Semper fidelis)- Always faithful, and the Harvard University (Veritas) which means truth who was a goddess of truth, daughter of Saturn and mother of virtue. Also movies like the award-winning Passion of the Christ infusing it for a more realistic feel, with movies subtitled in Latin and websites, radio and TV shows, and magazines done entirely in the language.
(Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur)- No one is forced to do the impossible, one of the Latin terms you’ll probably hear lawyers use before a judge and law students must master. When the Roman Empire fell, the conquered regions under it were already accustomed to its laws, language, and culture, and therefore continued to use it. Forming its own set of laws to settle disputes, Latin became the language of choice for those studying law and became the basis on which it was practiced. With the advent of major languages like English, Spanish, and French, Latin was used less and was eventually phased out, but it continued to be widely used in law schools and lawyers for its terms and phrases. Some of the common Latin terms that come to mind like; (Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea)- The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty, commonly used in defense of an accused, (Actore non probante, reus absolvitur)- When the plaintiff fails to prove case, the defendant is acquitted, a term indicating that the burden of proof falls on the plaintiff, (Animus confidenti)- Intent to confess, (Amicus Curiae)- A friend of the court, and (Aberratio ictus)- Error in the meaning of the blow a mistake where the wrong person gets hurt. No matter what country you’re from, you’ll never miss the use of such terms in law, highlighting their continuing effect and importance in the legal profession around the world.
Science continues to borrow heavily from Latin, especially in coining new words for the International Scientific Vocabulary (ISF): it comprises scientific and specialist words whose source language may or may not be safe, but which are currently used in several modern languages. (Wikipedia). Its translingual meaning, Latin, spans modern languages around the world from; English, Russian, French, Swedish to Japanese, Thai, Kiswahili and Hebrew. Therefore, a word like femur-thigh bone remains the same when used in any modern language, and is interoperable. The binomial nomenclature used by scientists to name plants and animals uses Latin with the primary intention of helping those who have no idea of classical languages to better understand and remember scientific names such as; Apis mellifera – honey bee. There are a myriad of common Latin names and terms that you are sure to come across such as; Tibia- Shinbone, Fibula- Leg bone, Fetus- Fetus (unborn baby), Citrus aurantium- Bitter orange, Eubalaena Autris– Southern Right Whale and Eptesicus Brasiliensis – Brazilian Brown Bat.
come vidi vici– “I came, I saw, I conquered” wrote Julius Caesar to Amantius in Rome after a decisive victory against Pharnaces II of Pontus during the Battle of Zela fought on August 2, 47 BC in Zile, present-day Turkey with historians, philosophers interpreting the phrase to mean anything can be achieved if we are focused and determined on whatever goal we do. After Pharnaces defeated one of Caesar’s legates at the Battle of Nicopolis, he committed heinous acts against captured soldiers and Roman civilians. When Caesar found out, he declared war on Pharnaces and met him at Zile, a small hill in northern Turkey. He made a surprise attack on Caesar while he was pitching a tent on top of the hill, creating confusion among his troops and gaining ground. But Caesar’s legionaries quickly regrouped, organized and went on the offensive, defeating Pharnaces’ army of approximately 20,000 to Caesar’s 10,960. Denoting Caesar’s clear purpose to defeat Pharnaces, despite suffering early setbacks, he remained focused by quickly regrouping, organizing the troops, and achieved his objective by defeating Pharnaces. Such Latin phrases remain inspiring, applicable, and relevant today with institutions, individuals, and governments around the world using them as their motivational motto. I like it; Phrase by Appius Claudius Caecus- Faber is suae quisque fortunee(Each man is the architect of his fortune), Petronius- manus manum lavat(A favor for a favor or One hand washes the other), Horace-Vitanda is improba mermaid indolence(You have to avoid that evil temptress, Laziness) and the eternal phrase of César- Alea iacta is (The die is cast).
