[Foundation-l] A dangerous precedent

[Andrew Gray]

On 27/12/2007, Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:

> Also if you look at what
> is available facing the title page of the Harry Potter books, somebody
> is intent on translating them into Latin.

They're quite good translations, I am assured! Winnie the Pooh, too...

Latin is a unique case.

If we were talking a hundred or more years ago, we would also have to
consider a sizable ediucated population which was in effect bilingual
in a dialect of Latin; consistently a second language by the strict
definition, but not uncommonly used as a first in some situations.
Nowadays, whilst it clearly has no "born" speakers, or only a
statistically irrelevant amount, it does get taught to a sizable
population in secondary and tertiary education, as well as its
widespread use as a liturgical language, and there is heavy lobbying
to ensure it keeps being taught.

In effect, it perfectly fits the definition of a dying minority lanugage :-)

-- 
- Andrew Gray
  andrew.gray at dunelm.org.uk