Classical Latin facts
While investigating facts about Classical Latin Pronunciation and Classical Latin Alphabet, I found out little known, but curios details like:
The modern English word phoenix derives from the Middle English word phenix, itself from the Old English fenix, which was borrowed from Medieval Latin phenix, which is derived from Classic Latin phoenix
how do we know how classical latin was pronounced?
The traditional way to pronounce Julius Caesar, is (yewl-yoos kay-i-sarr), showing where the imperial titles of Russian 'Czar/Tsar' or 'Kaiser', in German, had their origins in Classical Latin and more than 2000 years as a legacy to Caesar's family name.
What is the difference between classical and ecclesiastical latin?
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what did classical latin sound like. Here are 16 of the best facts about Classical Latin Translator and Classical Latin School Association I managed to collect.
what is classical latin?
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Modern Romance languages come from a "non-classical" version of Latin called "Vulgar Latin" that had no orthography, was written in graffiti, and spoken by the lower-class. Basically, Romance languages evolved from Latin slang.
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Sard, the language spoken on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, is much nearer Classical Latin than any other surviving Romance language.
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Since 1989 a Finnish radio station has broadcast 'Nuntii Latini' - a weekly news programme conducted entirely in Classical Latin
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The ancient language Sanskrit shares many similarities with the classical Western languages Latin and Greek, and it is believed that these languages originate from one lost motherlanguage known as Proto-Indo-European
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Cicero translated many of the Greek classics into Latin, which is how many of those works were preserved in western Europe during the Dark Ages.
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Classical Latin had a hard "K" sound for "C" and the ae dipthong sounded like "eye", which means that Caesar is really pronounced "Kaiser"!
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For a time, one of the language options at ATMs in Vatican City was Classical Latin.
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As a boy and young man, Octavian displayed an incredible aptitude for academic endeavors. He learned classical poetry and history, in both Latin and Greek, and developed impressive oratory skills at an early age.
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The Classical Latin pronunciation of "Veni, Vidi, Vici" is much different to the modern english pronunciation
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In classical mythology, Lucifer ("light-bringer" in Latin) was the name of the planet Venus, though it was often personified as a male figure bearing a torch. The Greek name for this planet was variously Phosphoros (also meaning "light-bringer") or Heosphoros (meaning "dawn-bringer").
Why study latin classical conversations?
You can easily fact check why learn latin classical conversations by examining the linked well-known sources.
About Dog Latin, a language debased from Classical Latin. Words are put together in a similar fashion to English grammar, but lacks Classical Latin rules, though still keeps the meaning of a sentence. It has been used as a form of comedy as it ages.
Lorem Ipsum text (filler text) is rooted in classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. - source
Vice Versa was actually pronounced Wi-kay Wersa because in classical Latin, the letter V had a W/U sound. Source: https://youtu.be/_enn7NIo-S0 (Video actually deals with the pronunciation of Veni, Vidi, Vici. But the same rules apply.) - source
University" does not come from "universal education", but comes from a latin phrase that roughly translates to "union of masters and scholars". The tuition costs of today give a sense of irony, considering that universities in the classical sense wanted to reduce the barriers to education.
