![]() Descartes then referred to the same statement in Latin in his work called Meditations on First Philosophy, which was published in 1641. The proverb was written in French by French philosopher René Descartes in his Discourse on Method, which was released in 1637. You can also hear this phrase in the movie Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams. The old saying is taken from Book 1 of Horace's Odes, a piece of Roman poetry that was composed in 23 BC. At the same time, according to Suetonius, Caesar supposedly inscribed the sentences while celebrating his Pontic victory. According to Plutarch, Caesar allegedly used the phrase in a report to Amantius. The saying is credited to Julius Caesar, who penned it in a letter to the Roman Senate sometime after winning the Battle of Zela, in the year 47 BC. With that in mind, here’s a listicle of Latin terms that we have certainly come across many moons ago or maybe even just 3 text messages ago. Because in a sense, we have been keeping Latin alive in our own little ways, by using Latin phrases once in a while. Unbelievably, we have spent most of our lives using Latin words. For example, A contrariis is the Latin term used in logic that means to the contrary, and Statu hominis is the Latin term that means the state of humans. Think about a philosophical phrase that you read somewhere, surely that as well has Latin roots. For example, Canis lupus familiaris is the scientific name for the dog, and Rana temporaria is the scientific name for the common frog. Think about your favorite animal, surely its scientific name is in Latin (and Greek). But it is very, very alive in the words we use and say, the ideas we learn and share, the theories we study and discuss. In fact, Latin is sort of alive… not just in Vatican City or by the growing number of Latin learners. In a way, yes, Latin is “dead” but it is not extinct (an extinct language is a totally different story, and Latin is definitely not part of that group). In fact, the people living around that area speak Italian and English, and many other languages. ![]() Sure, it is the official language of Vatican City but Latin is still not the primary language of the people living there. Technically, Latin is a “dead language” because it’s no longer the native language of a group of people. Many of us have heard the saying that “Latin is considered a dead language.” But how could that be when we still use Latin phrases here and there, and the number of people speaking the language is growing each year? So… is Latin really a “dead language?” Well, the answer is not that simple and it all depends on who you ask.
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