I am currently reading The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding, written about 1749. It is choc-a-block full of Latin quotes. It is not too bad because they are either translated beneath or in the chapter notes at the end of the book. I am disappointed I rarely understand them. I did three years of Latin at school, although I spent most of those lessons wishing it would end and looking at the clock. The grammar is so horrendous, that even when you recognise all the word stems, if you try to guess the meaning, you guess wrong. I often used to wonder how six-year-old Roman children learnt how to speak it. These days, if a book borrows from a foreign language, it is more likely to be French, German or Spanish, but older books still contain Latin quotes. Despite George Orwell having a preference for simple words and clear language, I noticed he quoted Latin phrases in his early novels. I have toyed with the idea of studying Latin again, but what a waste of effort that would be. Perhaps instead of studying Latin text books I should read a book full of quotes.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by ennison
