Modern Day Uses of the Latin Language
Even if it is considered a dead language, Latin is the basis of many languages spoken today all over the world. Languages like Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or Romanian -- all "Romance" languages, in fact -- are derived from Latin. Many other languages have influences from Latin because they were part of the Roman Empire. This is the case of England, called Britannia when it was a Roman possession, where the language of the Celtic tribes was largely influenced by Latin words and expressions.
Other People Are Reading
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Roman Catholic Church
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Latin is very much alive in Vatican. Latin is the language of the Roman Catholic Church. It came to be known by many people across the vast Roman Empire in ancient times and it is the language in which the Christian religion was spread. Latin is used today in its written form in edicts, papal bulls and the official liturgical books of the Catholic Rite; it is also used in the religious services performed in the Vatican State in Italy as its official language. However, Catholic priests all over the world may choose to celebrate the liturgy in Latin or in their people's native language, "provided that the liturgical texts have been legitimately approved," as stipulated in the Code of Canon Law.
Legal Matters
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Legal documents and proceedings use Latin terms. Latin terms and phrases are used in expressing legal concepts for which is difficult to find exact English words. Terms like "subpoena" (an order requiring a person to testify in court, or he will be penalized) or "pro bono" (designating the free of charge representation offered by a lawyer) are commonly heard in the court of law and used in legal documents. Another example is "quid pro quo," an expression used in and out of a court of law to request something in exchange for a service provided.
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Sciences
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Plants and animals have Latin names. Many scientific names used in biology, zoology, chemistry, medicine and other sciences come from Latin. They refer to classes of plants, animal species or chemical elements. Thus, a type of magnolia is called "magnolia tripetala"; the common horse is "equus caballus"; the chrome (the metal) is actually called "chromium" in the periodic table of chemical elements, and words like transplant or transfusion use the Latin prefix "trans-" meaning "across, over or beyond."
Common Expressions
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Students sing "Gaudeamus" when they graduate. "Gaudeamus igitur" ("So let us rejoice") is the song some students sing when they finish school. Many of them even graduate "magna cum laudae" (with great honors). There are also many common terms and expressions that are no longer perceived as from another language. A few commonly-used abbreviations are i.e. from "id est" (that is, in other words); e.g. from "exempli gratia" (for example); R.I.P. from "requiescat in pace" (rest in peace), or etc. from "et caetera" (and so on).
American Money
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The American one-dollar bill and the coins have Latin phrases on them. There are few people that know what the words on the Great Seal of the United States and on the American money actually mean. The Great Seal, that appears also on the one-dollar bill, has the words "annuit coeptis" meaning "He (God) has favored our undertakings and "Novus ordo seclorum" meaning "the beginning of the new American Era" and refers to the date of the Declaration of Independence. The American coins have on them the expression: "E pluribus unum," meaning "Out of many, one" and it refers to the nation formed by several states.
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References
Resources
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