“Why are you even learning Latin? It’s a dead language,” was the number one response I used to get when I took Latin at my old school. Yes, I’ll admit that Latin is technically a dead language, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still pretty useful. While it might not be in everyday life, it does help us in other ways. Here’s a small list of them to start off.

 1. Romance Languages Come from Latin

Languages like Spanish, French, Italian, and more all stem from Latin. Learning Latin first would make it so much easier to learn those languages due to the similarities. About 90% of a Romance language’s vocabulary comes from Latin! While Latin itself might not be spoken anymore, Romance languages sure are.

2. It’s Helpful in Law, Medicine, Science, and More

Knowing Latin is important if you’re planning to go into certain fields because a lot of strange terms in science, medicine, law etc. come from Latin. Ever heard of Ursus arctos horribilis, also known as a grizzly bear? That’s Latin.

3. Latin Students Score Higher on English Exams

When 50% of English vocabulary comes from Latin, it’s a no-brainer that Latin helps improve and expand one’s English vocabulary. It’s to the point that the average Latin student even scores higher than the ones that take other languages, or none at all. Latin also helps with grammar; not only in English but even in other languages!

4. A Wider Understanding of Literature 

While reading the English versions of Homer or The Odyssey might be fun, a lot of words and meanings are lost in translation. Reading books in their original language gives a better understanding because of the direct words. Older English literature uses also Latin references, which would be hard to understand without knowing the language.

I hope this short list has convinced you to want to learn Latin.