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 important 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 from the; Ancient-Classical-Vulgar-Medieval-Renaissance-New and up to recent Contemporary Latin. From famous quotes and phrases, science & 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 language is felt in all sectors of our society. (Portus cale) – warm port in Latin is where Portugal derives its name from; similarly, Egypt comes from (Aegyptus), which means the land under the Aegean Sea in Latin, and Switzerland’s Latin name 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 state of Missouri in the USA Being from Virginia (Montani semper liberi) – Mountaineers are always free. The Royal Air Force of Great Britain (Per ardua ad astra)- Through adversity/struggle to the stars is its official motto, the United States Marine Corps adopts the phrase (Semper fidelis)- Always faithful, and the Harvard University (Veritas) meaning 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 with Latin subtitles and websites, radio and TV shows, and magazines made entirely in the language.
(Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur)- No one is obligated to do the impossible, one of the Latin terms you’re likely to hear lawyers use before a judge and law students must master. When the Roman Empire fell, the conquered regions under its command were already used to its laws, language, and culture, and thus continued to use it. Forming its own set of laws to resolve 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 such as English, Spanish, and French, Latin became less widely used and eventually phased out, but remained 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 a defendant, (Actore non probante, reus absolvitur)- When the plaintiff does not prove his case, the defendant is acquitted, a term indicating that the burden of proof rests with the plaintiff, (Animus confidenti)- Intent to confess, (Amicus Curiae)- A friend of the court, and (Aberratio ictus)- Error in the meaning of the blow an error where the wrong person gets hurt. Regardless of which country you are from, the use of such terms in law will never be lost, highlighting their continuing effect and importance to the legal profession worldwide.
Science continues to borrow heavily from Latin, especially in coining new words for the International Scientific Vocabulary (ISF): it comprises scientific and specialized words whose source language may or may not be certain, but which are currently used in a number of modern languages. (Wikipedia). Its translingual meaning, Latin, cuts across modern languages around the world since; English, Russian, French, Swedish to Japanese, Thai, Kiswahili and Hebrew. Therefore, a word like femur-thighbone 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 main intention of helping those who have no idea of classical languages 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- Shin, 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” Julius Caesar wrote to Amancio in Rome after a decisive victory against Pharnaces II of Pontus during the Battle of Zela fought on August 2, 47 BC in Zile, current Turkey with historians, philosophers interpreting the phrase to mean anything can be achieved if we are focused and determined in whatever goal we do. After Pharnaces defeated one of Caesar’s legates at the Battle of Nicopolis, he committed heinous acts against captured Roman soldiers and civilians. When Caesar found out, he declared war on Pharnaces and met him at Zile, a small hill in northern Turkey. He surprise-attacked Caesar while he was setting up a tent on top of the hill, throwing his troops into confusion and gaining ground. But Caesar’s legionnaires quickly regrouped, organized themselves and went on the offensive defeating Pharnaces’ army of approximately 20,000 against Caesar’s 10,960. Signifying Caesar’s clear intent to defeat Pharnaces, despite suffering early setbacks, he remained focused by quickly regrouping, organizing the troops, and achieved his goal of 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; Appius Claudius Caecus phrase- Faber is suae quisque fortunae(Each man is the architect of his fortune), Petronio- manus manum lavat(The favor for a favor or One hand washes the other), Horacio-Vitanda est improba siren laziness(We must avoid that evil temptress, Sloth) and the eternal phrase of César- Alea iacta is (The die is cast).