Overview

Latin is alive and well. Beginning in Rome around 600 BC Latin became the language of the civilized world and remained so for over two millennia. French, Spanish, Italian, and Romanian are among its progeny and it still provides the international vocabulary of law and life science. No known language, including English - itself enriched by Latin words and phrases - has achieved such success and longevity. Tore Janson tells its history from origins to the present. Brilliantly conceived and written with the same light touch as Speak, his bestselling history of languages, A Natural History of Latin is a masterpiece of adroit synthesis. The author charts the expansion in the classical world, its renewed importance in the Middle Ages, and its survival into modern times. He shows its central role in European history and culture and, by judicious quotation of phrases and texts, describes how spoken and written Latin changed and evolved differently in different places. He ends with a summary of Latin grammar and lists of Latin words and of phrases still in common use. Considered elitist and irrelevant in the second half of the twentieth century and often banned from schools, Latin is now enjoying a huge revival of interest and a renaissance in schools across Europe, the UK, and the USA. Tore Janson offers persuasive arguments for its value and direct access to its fascinating worlds, past and present.

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9780199263097

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Reviews

Natural History of Latin is an authoritative introduction to arguably the most influential language of all time. Chicago Tribune This always readable book is full of interest. The Scotsman It is hard to imagine how this book could be improved. Linguist From now on, if anyone who has never studied Latin askes me to recommend a short, readable book in which they can find out about the history of Latin and get a feel for the grammar, I will be able to answer unhesitatingly. Linguist

Far from being a dead language, Latin is still widely influential, both culturally and linguistically, as Tore Janson's informative book enthusiastically makes clear. Neither a beginner's textbook nor a work of reference, it aims to introduce the reader to the history (and a little grammar) of lingua Latina from its beginnings as the native language of Rome 2,700 years ago. Under the unifying effect of the Roman Empire, it became the language of Europe and the basis for Romance languages and much of our vocabulary today. Although there is a great deal of information here - the author is a world expert on the history of Latin - the book whets the appetite with historical titbits, examples of prose and poetry, comments on the pervasiveness of Latin in medicine and science, its role in the Catholic Church and even its contribution to Harry Potter, and transmits the author's passion in an enjoyable and interesting way. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Tore Janson was Professor of Oriental and African Languages at the University of Göteborg until his retirement in 2000. He was previously Professor of Linguistics at the same university and a world expert on the history of Latin. He is the author of the international bestseller Speak: A Short History of Languages (OUP 2002; trade paperback 2003).

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