As a student some 30 years ago I wrote on the chalkboard of my high school Latin class, "If Latin was not a dead language, I would kill it!" prompting the laughter of my teacher and classmates. I chose Latin because I loved language and because I thought it was a stately language.

It was only later as I developed as a writer and a teacher that I discovered that Latin was indeed a living language. Latin is to Western language as DNA is to the human species. It is the basic building block of our language. While it is no longer a spoken language in the same way as English, Italian and Spanish; Latin remains very much alive in and through its progeny.

Latin: The Meta-Language

Latin proper has become a mythic language used to communicate impact and elevate ideals. We use Latin numerals to mark "epic" events such as the Super Bowl and The Olympics. It is the chosen discursive language of medicine, law and science. We use it to ascribe a sense of awe and grandeur to our contemporary world that is reminiscent of ancient Roman pomp and pageantry.

Latin has transcended the mundane realm of spoken language and become the patron saint of Western language. We pay homage to it with phrases such as, quid pro quo, id est and exempli gratia as part of daily speech and composition. We immortalize our military mission in Latin, with phrases such as:

Haec Protegimus "This We Protect" (Army)
Semper Fidelis "Always Faithful" (Marines)
Non Sibi, Sed Patriae "Not for Self, but for Country" (Navy)
Semper Paratus "Always Prepared" (US Coastal Guard)

Western nations immortalize their founding principles, inscribing their currencies and Great Seals with Latin mottos.

A mari usque ad mare (Latin, "From sea to sea") Canada
Plus ultra (Latin, "Further beyond") Spain
Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin, "No one injures me with impunity") Scotland
E Pluribus Unum (Latin, "Out of many, one") United States

The Transcendence of Latin

Latin abounds and persists as a vital part of Western cultural memory and heritage, a critical part of the pervasive ethos of our many institutions. The vitality of Latin as a language of memorial defies the assertion that it is a dead language. It is pervasive as a meta-language which suggests that it has become something greater than a way to assign meaning to otherwise indecipherable human vocalizations.

Latin has become the language that gives meaning to our most cherished principles. We elevate the significance of an event, a discipline or a principle by assigning Latin meta-language to it. We communicate the mystery of our principles by Latin translation leaving those who desire clarity of the principle to discover it by translating the Latin.

In a way it becomes metaphorically the riddle of the Sphinx, concealing the answer to the question, "What does that mean?" in plain sight. Latin as a language has not resurrected, as resurrection presupposes prior death, it has actually transcended becoming something more than a language. It has become the language of memorial, the meta-language of elevated value and the signet of significance for its offspring.

Learn more about this author, Garry Spotts.
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