World Languages: Latin

A witty and entertaining guide to the use of Latin expressions for one's own advantage in the modern world.

The mother tongue of the Roman Empire and the lingua franca of the West for centuries after Rome's fall, Latin survives today primarily in classrooms and texts. Yet this "dead language" is unique in the influence it has exerted across centuries and continents. J#65533;rgen Leonhardt has written a full history of Latin from antiquity to the present, uncovering how this once parochial dialect developed into a vehicle of global communication that remained vital long after its spoken form was supplanted by modern languages. Latin originated in the Italian region of Latium, around Rome, and became widespread as that city's imperial might grew. By the first century BCE, Latin was already transitioning from a living vernacular, as writers and grammarians like Cicero and Varro fixed Latin's status as a "classical" language with a codified rhetoric and rules.

The classic Wheelock's Latin remains the most highly regarded and bestselling single-volume, introductory Latin textbook of its kind. Now in its seventh edition, Wheelock's Latin retains its signature core of authentic Latin readings, taken not only from classical literature, drama, and poetry, but also from inscriptions, artifacts, and even graffiti showing the ancient Romans' everyday use of Latin: Latin as a living language. With expanded vocabulary sections, tightly retooled comprehension and discussion questions, and vivid photos and illustrations, Wheelock's Latin 7th Edition is the essential resource for students beginning their journey into the heart of the classical world.

Why do students today find Greek and Latin so difficult and frustrating to learn? Perhaps the primary barrier preventing us from learning another language successfully is that we often subconsciously believe that English is the standard for the way languages must express ideas, and therefore we unwittingly try to fit the new language into the structure of English. This book seeks to break students out of ""English mode"" as soon as possible, at the very beginning of study.