Learning Latin

Jame

Recently I've gained interest in reading the classical works of mathematicians and physicists and came to the realization that knowing Latin would be of great use. Is it worth the effort to learn the basics necessary to comprehend for example Gauss' works, or might I just as well get the translations instead? (I'm not particularly interested in learning Latin for the sake of knowing the language.)

My question is basically: is it very hard to learn enough Latin to be able to read scientific works?

Manchot

I took Latin in high school; it's a pretty easy language to learn.

JasonRox

The gain in learning Latin is almost nil. No one speaks it. No one writes it basically.

The most recent great works have been written in German, French, and English. Why not stick to those languages?

Manchot

^ Yeah, while it's nice to know etymology, Latin is pretty useless.

GeorginaS

Isn't Latin helpful in medicine and biology in general?

moe darklight

I'm shocked at what I'm hearing! ... reading, rather ... Since when is learning the language of one of the most culturally influential cultures in history useless? Especially coming from your Aristotle Quote up there
If anything, I think it's an amazing experience to read something written centuries ago, in a language that no longer exists, and realize just how relevant it still is.
I plan to eventually learn Greek and German, and I'd like to think my efforts toward the former won't be a waste of my time.

fourier jr

if someone knew latin, greek & german they could probably understand any western language. i think that would be pretty useful.

mgb_phys

Certainly is - "allergic rhinitus" is a lot more profitable than a runny nose

Proton Soup

i disagree that latin is "easy". i took it for about 9 months in college, yet can't speak it now. however, i don't think it's useless at all. so much of english has latin roots that it can be helpful, especially for scientific/technical english.

i'd just get the translation if it were me. all those conjugations and tenses and such get tiresome.

gravenewworld

Latin is much easier to read and write than speak it.

JasonRox

The investment in time can be better made is all I'm saying. Not very hard to understand.

Manchot

I've read the Aeneid, so I know what you mean, but I'm just being realistic. Latin was a fun class in high school, but I recognize that my time would have been better spent learning another language. (My high school offered four years of Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Latin, as well as a year of Greek).

It's really not worse than any other language, and Latin is extremely forgiving in terms of word order. Plus, if you don't know what a word means, you can often guess (though this is likely true of all Romance languages).

Gokul43201

I've read a fair part of the English translation of Disquisitiones Arithmeticae (by Clark) and found it really good. I didn't go so far as learning Latin. But I often wish I could read French and German, because many good papers are not translated.

moe darklight

You wouldn't think it if you are a native English speaker, but English is one of the hardest languages to get right grammatically. the vocabulary is relatively easy because it borrows a lot from other languages and because it's such a universal language, but English grammar is a mess. This is why you meet immigrants who have lived in English speaking countries for years and still speak tarzan-english.

OK, granted it's not very useful in the stricter sense of the word. But I still think useless and pointless are not the same thing. Playing a musical instrument is a pretty useless skill that takes a lot of time to hone, but I don't think it's a waste of time either.

LowlyPion

If you're asking because you want to read say Newton's Principia, they've had plenty of time to get that translated by now.

I'm not aware of too many current articles being published in Latin however.

On the whole though, I'd say it's a useful enterprise. I trundled my way through Caesar and Cicero and the Aeneid, putting Gauls under the yoke and exhorting the citizens of Rome and Dido's tragic end, and in the final analysis it's certainly more useful than say mastering the Gears of War or Call of Duty.

moe darklight

I've always wondered if, 400 years from now, students will be made to analyze classic works such as "South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut".

I get this mental image of one of those annoying literature professors talking about the "delicious irony of the Christlike death and rebirth of Kenny," or some other overwrought analysis.

I love literature (good reason to major in it, I would think), but sometimes I have to try really hard to not burst into laughter in the middle of class. Especially when a student-teacher presents some insane analytic theory on a text, which usually revolves around the penis.

What is it about modern literary critics that everything must revolve around phallic imagery? they've all got erection-mania, methinks.

CRGreathouse

For what very little it's worth, Latin isn't a Romance language (though it is an Italic language). Romance languages are those descended from Vulgar Latin; Latin is 'two generations too old' for that.