Earlier today, I had a met a girl who is embarking on an adventure, next week she becomes a college freshman. Congrats, I say! She plans to study French and Spanish, both of which are Romance languages (Roman, ya know, Latin based) that sound silky smooth, so much so that I cannot differentiate between one word and the next. It all flows so fluidly that my brain is still catching the beginning of the sentence long after the speaker has fallen silent, awaiting a response.
But speaking with Jonte' brought to mind my own experiences with language that were more successful. Well, that's relative. Being that sometimes I feel I haven't even gotten a handle on English enough to be truly proficient.
One of my degrees is in German. I don't use it regularly enough to have a conversation of any depth but I could probably read more than the warnings written on the changing-table in the restroom. But it is Latin that I return to, time and time again.
Latin is a wonderful language, rich with meanings and versatility. I know of no other language that you can list the words in any order and still understand exactly what is being said. That's because the word itself changes to reflect declension/conjugation. Latin fuels so many other languages and influences many words in our own tongues, forming the root of it all.
So, I've returned to it yet again and am learning and relearning and building off of what I know. Latin, language of labor and love alike.
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Well, this is an interesting side note. Latin. My friend has just recently (at well over 50 now) begun learning Latin. Hmmm....
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