Dead Language?
I was introduced to the rigours of Latin by a fierce and exacting taskmistress. My grandfather's younger sister had the sharpest mind of anyone I've ever met, a tongue to go with it, and the will to restrain both – a potent combination. She once said she was the only one who could stand up to him, and I believe it. They were very affectionate siblings the rest of the time.
But what amazed me was the abundance of life in the so-called 'dead' languages. From both her and my grandfather, I picked up a love of the arcane, in the form of Latin, Greek and unusual Biblical translations; she taught me what brutal honesty was about and he taught me what loving generosity was. And yet both of them were capable of blistering wrath, rare and doubly potent when unleashed. I loved them both – grandfather close up and my grandaunt from afar.
And I will always remember them as I remember this:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth;
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria Tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Hosts;
The heavens and earth are filled with Your glory,
Hosanna in the highest!
Amen.
But what amazed me was the abundance of life in the so-called 'dead' languages. From both her and my grandfather, I picked up a love of the arcane, in the form of Latin, Greek and unusual Biblical translations; she taught me what brutal honesty was about and he taught me what loving generosity was. And yet both of them were capable of blistering wrath, rare and doubly potent when unleashed. I loved them both – grandfather close up and my grandaunt from afar.
And I will always remember them as I remember this:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth;
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria Tua.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Hosts;
The heavens and earth are filled with Your glory,
Hosanna in the highest!
Amen.
Labels: Ancestors, Latin, Remembrance, Sanctus
etched with acid at 9:09:00 pm
8 Comments:
I'd like to learn Latin.. the only phrases I know are Requiescat In Pacem and Ceteris Paribus.. haha
I like Latin when it's spoken. Classically. Then it sounds like an Indian tongue (probably because it keeps the final -m in case endings so prominently.)
Studying Latin would be so much more interesting if they weren't just making you translate stuff. It's hard to have passion for a language that exists in writing only.
My dad tells me that studying Greek and Hebrew would be more beneficial in studying the Word of God, than Latin. After all, Latin did used to alienate the masses and prevent them from reading the Bible.
So I would only learn Latin for the aim of knowing many of the roots of the English language and it is a beautiful language after all. :)
Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic – all these are more useful in studying the Word. But Latin is like the secular cousin, the one which trains the mind in ever-decreasing circles of logic and bridges the gap between the languages of the dead and the languages of the living. Your father is certainly right, Becca; but alienating the masses is not the fault of Latin, but of the Latinate. :)
Le galoisien refers to the correct (or at least extrapolatedly correct) pronunication of Latin as opposed to that used by Church and State. It is certainly smoother and slinkier that way.
Jenn: ooh, you must learn more, argh, I had not the time to go out and get that naughty Latin phrase-book for you. Happy birthday!
Church Latin is for wimps. Hoho!
And also anglicised readings of Latin. Too many schwas. Schwas are nice, but they don't mix well with Latin.
So I hate medical Latin for this reason. So boring! Too many uhms, uhsses and whatnot.
Today's medical Latin, to clarify.
I've nothing against Galen, etc. (Not the language anyway; the cures probably.)
autolycus.... i so have to chime in here =p
jenn - i teach the language at university level if you're interested. autolycus can give you my contact.
becca - with all respect, your father's wrong. some of the best gospel commentaries were written in Latin. Latin was never used to alienate - it was used to spread the Gospel, as most of the languages of Western Europe were too primitive at the time and did not have sufficient philosophical or theological vocabulary to express the nuances of the faith.
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