Latin

The Roman empire and its primary language, Latin, are responsible for transmitting to western civilization not only the rich culture of Rome but also Greek, Jewish, and Christian writings and ideas. Latin is thus one of the world's most influential languages, both as a vehicle of ancient culture and as the direct source of the "Romance" (i.e., "Roman") languages. After the collapse of Rome, Latin didn't really die, it just turned into Italian, French, Spanish, and several other languages. Or, more accurately, it turned into dozens of local dialects, which gradually merged to form those more familiar languages. This dialect formation had been going on for centuries. Indeed, educated Romans had often bemoaned the increasinly incomprehensible versions of Latin which were developing in the provinces. Today, about six hundred million people around the world speak a language derived from Latin and Latin has also had a huge influence on the English language via the Norman Conquest and direct borrowing, which continues to this day.
The historical significance of Latin, the beauty of Latin literature, the intrinsic interest of Roman culture and its influence on western civilization (in art, law, literature, political theory, et cetera) make the study of Latin exceptionally rewarding and useful. In learning Latin one gains access to the masterpieces of classical Roman literature-the poetry of Catullus, Vergil, and Ovid, the speeches of Cicero, the histories of Tacitus, for example-which have enthralled readers for two thousand years. Learning Latin is also a superb way to learn about language itself, and especially the languages it influenced. Is it not delightful to discover that the English word "pedigree" derives, via French, from the Latin pes (foot), de (of), grus (crane) What does a pedigree have to do with a crane's foot? Answer: The three lines of the bird's foot suggest the branches of a family tree!

Sources:

Latin Language and Literature Vassar
Latin Language

Independent Study Courses Available at UCSD:

• Conversational Latin, LIDS 19
      The Rosetta Stone Language Library:Latin (CD-ROM)      

Other Courses Available at UCSD

• History Department, Classical Studies: Latin

Other Local Resources:

(none known)