Latin Language Resources
Latin, once looked upon as a universal language, has no native speakers and only the Vatican recognizes it as an official language today. However, the ancient language continues to be important because of its use in scientific, medical and religious fields. It also has a rich literary and political history; it was the language of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Learning Latin can also make learning such languages as French, Spanish and Portuguese easier, because they are all related languages.
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Dictionaries
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Electronic dictionaries are invaluable tools for students of Latin. Dictionaries are the most basic reference tool for the student of the Latin language. They are available in many forms from the traditional paper-bound books to interactive online dictionaries. Online dictionaries take several different formats. There are the traditional translators that work like their paper-based counterparts with the benefit of a search engine. There are also dictionaries that allow users to input entire passages and receive a translation. Most online dictionaries also feature audio files that users can listen to for the pronunciation of Latin words and phrases.
Literature
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Dante's works take on greater beauty to those reading it in the original Latin. Latin was the written language of the ancient Romans and the language such philosophers, poets and playwrights as Lucretius, Virgil, Ovid, Sophocles and Euripedes used. Though their works have been translated into thousands of languages, students of Latin have the advantage of reading them in their original form. As all of the original works are long out of copyright, the full Latin text is available online in many sources. Students of Latin can also find numerous critical essays exploring and analyzing Latin literature in academic journals, literary books and online educational sites. Latin is also the official language of the Roman Catholic Church and its liturgy, and religious writings were recorded in Latin. Ecclesiastical documents are available in seminaries, libraries, churches and religious universities.
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Grammar
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Latin is an Indo-European language whose grammar has heavily influenced many of the other languages in its same family. Students of the Latin language must concern themselves with such things as declensions, verb conjugations and the parts of speech. English speakers will find many similarities in grammatical rules in Latin. Resources that can help students of the Latin language with grammar include traditional grammar books, Latin classes, private tutors and online resources, such as the Latin Grammar pages at the Ohio State University site.
Slang
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Though Latin is no longer a language that is spoken as a culture's official language, it continues to have influences on other languages as part of its jargon and slang. Phrases such as "carpe diem" and "ad nauseam" frequently appear in English-speaking pop culture. Sites such as the Translation Hub offer lists of Latin slang, and the Urban Dictionary identifies Latin origins of modern slang.
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References
Resources
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