How Latin Has Helped Me

Latin is the basis for most of the english language, has a strong presence in pop culture, and is recognized in most of the world. Without it, I wouldn't be able to fully understand certain books or references in tv shows.

1) First of all, Latin helps me recognize the roots of some English vocabulary. A couple weeks ago during soccer practice, the coach had set up a relatively complicated drill to run, where depending on your position there was a series of movements you had to do. In response to it, one of my captains said "I don't think we have the cognitive ability for that, coach". Cognitive comes from the Latin word cogito, which means to think.

2) Last year, I went to the state Latin competition in Austin. While I was there, Dr. Morgan decided to take me and the other people who were there on a tour through the UT campus. We did a ton of sight seeing, among which was the littlefield fountain. On the back of the fountain, there was Latin inscribed, and me and the group I was with had to translate it. The translation went as follows: “Short life hath been given by Nature unto man; but the remembrance of a life laid down in a good cause endureth forever.”                                                                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littlefield_Fountain


3) I play a lot of modded minecraft, and one of my favorite mods is Thaumcraft. Within this mod, it assigns different "aspects" to each item, terra being one of the most commonly found aspect. Terra actually comes from the Latin word terra, which means land or earth. Some other aspects are iter (journey), lux (light), and mortuus (death).

4) Me and my family are all big Harry Potter fans, and I even play the mobile app for it on my phone. It puts you in hogwarts, and has you learn different spells and potions you can use for dueling. One of my personal favorite spells is incendio (to burn), which throws a giant ball of fire at your opponent.

5) Finally, Latin not only helps me translate words I see everyday, but also with mythology. We are currently reading the Odyssey in school, and it has a ton of greek gods and monsters such as Hermes, Poseidon, Athena, Zeus, and even Polyphemos. Before the text told me, I already knew that Polyphemos was the son of Poseidon because I did a research project on his dad in 8th grade.

Latin in My Everyday Life

Washington D.C. Knowledge: Last year my grade went to Washington D.C. A lot of the monuments and articles we explored had Latin roots are Latin words. I could pick out the meanings on some of them, but this year, I have learned so much more about derivatives and endings. One of the examples of a Latin influence was the U.S. Constitution. I believe it has about 3 phrases that include Latin. When we were on the trip and were told to read the Constitution, I recognized one of the phrases. It was "pro tempore" which means "for the time being. If I had not taken Latin, I would not be able to recognize things like that and fully understand the U.S Constitution.

English vocabulary: Last year I really struggled to understand and being able to memorize meanings and derivatives of vocabulary. I failed in almost every quiz. This year, focusing on the grammar and roots of Latin words has helped me immensely. I got the highest grade on our first vocabulary quiz of the year. For example, we were writing a paper about land, and I was using boring words, so I thought of what other words I could use. I remembered that the Latin words, terra, means land, which is similar to the English word, terrace. On that paper, I got a high score for word choice. This would not have been the case if it wasn't for my Latin knowledge.

Odyssey: In English this year, we have spent a long time on a novel called the Odyssey. Latin has helped me so much through understanding what is going on in the book. I often find myself hearing other students, that do not take Latin, wondering what certain words mean. I can answer their questions because of the vocabulary we have learned this year. Last week in class, Alicia asked what the Roman numeral XVI (16) meant and I could answer her question quickly because of Latin. Knowing Roman numerals is extremely helpful because you see them everywhere.

Greek Mythology: I have honestly just been extremely interest in Greek Mythology my entire life, I would read Greek Mythology stories in third grade and explain the crazy relationships to my friends at recess. I am still invested in Greek Mythology, but nowadays I can confirm that I actually know what is going on and what I am talking about. For example, in sixth grade, I did a project on the goddess, Aphrodite, claiming she was the goddess on knowledge the entire time. I got a 60 on that assignment. But, this year I did a presentation on Athena, knowing she is the goddess of wisdom and Zeus' daughter! I nailed it this time. 

Harry Potter: In seventh-grade humanities, we read the first Harry Potter. The first Harry Potter introduces you to a lot of spells and Latin references I did not understand at the time. I decided to re-read the Harry Potter series this year, and although not understanding everything until I looked it up, I could pick out which phrases I saw were Latin. For example, one of the spells is called "Avada Kedavra". This sounded like the word English uses referring to magic "abracadabra" which I learned was Latin in seventh grade. I found that the word means "let the thing to be destroyed" and in Harry Potter's case, it is referring to people.

Overall, Latin is an extremely helpful language that has helped me understand more and more things over the years I have been learning it. It has helped expand my vocabulary, know the correct grammar in certain situations, and given me so much knowledge about Roman history. I believe everyone should learn at least some Latin because it is present everywhere you go. Latin class has been a great experience that I am very thankful for.

Abby McGarrity

Latin in My Everyday Life

Latin in My Everyday Life

Latin is a class that many people think is useless. I frequently hear a lot of things like "nobody speaks it," and "it won't help you communicate," but while these things are mostly true, Latin provides more insight to history, mythology, and the origins of most modern European languages than any other language at Parish could hope to offer. It not only helps me in school, but in my everyday life as well.

I am a giant nerd. Coinciding with this, I was preparing for the debut of Stark Trek: Picard last weekend by watching a lot of the Next Generation series. While watching the last movie made for this series, I noticed something that should have been extremely obvious. One of the major antagonistic alien races in Star Trek are just walking Roman history in space. This species is called the Romulan Empire. Almost every name used by this fictional empire was stolen from the Romans. The main reference is that their planet's and sister planet's names, Romulus and Remus, are directly taken from the mythological founders of Rome of the same name, who supposedly founded Rome in 753 B.C.E.

Last summer my family went on a trip to Scotland. It was very beautiful, but one of my favorite bragging moments from the trip was when I was able to read an inscription on the wall of the king's quarters located in Edinburgh castle. I do not remember specifically what the text said, but I remember the words "dues" and "rex," meaning "god" and "king" respectively in Latin. This is a prime example of how knowing Latin can positively impact a normal experience by allowing me to gain insight on a place's historical context without needing to look it up.

This year in English, I was able to get a 100 on a grammar quiz, something that I was personally very surprised by, and I entirely attribute this feat to my years spent in Latin class. Most of the grammar topics that we were covering had to do with structures such as direct objects, indirect objects, and prepositional phrases. I was able to quickly understand these structures in English by thinking of the nouns as if they had cases like in Latin. Sectioning off nouns as ablative, dative, and accusative helped me easily figure out the function of each noun in the sentence.

It seems like almost every other day I will find myself reading Roman Numerals. This counting system originating in Rome is still in used in a lot of places today. It uses a series of letters that translate to numbers, with a letter in front meaning subtraction and a letter behind meaning addition. I most frequently them on clocks and in books. All the time in English class people will ask me what a certain combination of numerals means in a book, and I am delighted that I am able to help people with this knowledge that I picked up in Latin class. I had a decent idea of what the numerals meant before taking Latin, but the class really helped me further grasp the concept.

Two summers ago, I found myself playing Minecraft with a downloaded modification to the game called "Thaumcraft." Back then, I probably wouldn't have mentioned this on an assignment, but with the modern "meme-ification" of the game, I am willing to share this strange way that Latin has helped me. The modification to the game revolved heavily around the concept of different types of elements called "essentia" that made up the in-game world. These elements could be used to create powerful weapons and tools. For many remembering what essentia type was called what was fairly confusing, but for me it was easy because every element was named in Latin. Latin words like "ignis," "aqua," "terra," "vis," and "mortuus" (which mean "fire," "water," "earth," "force," and "dead" respectively) were some of the many names for elements found in the mod. As funny as it sounds, knowing Latin really helped 14 year-old me gain in-game items to brag about to my online friends.

Overall, Latin has made a much more impactful change in my life than I ever could have expected any language class to do. It helps me in my daily life with things such as English grammar, understanding references, and understanding words based on their Latin roots. It is an experience that I would believe that everyone should be able to have, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, especially not Spanish class.

Christopher Foster

Latin is cool. But stay in school.

Nobody expects a separate language to help them learn about history, or their own language for that matter, but Latin is an exception. Not only did it come in in handy during my trip to Rome about a year ago, but also helped me during the SAT and English grammar. It also has some fun references to plenty of video games like Kid Icarus, and all of the Asterix and Obelix games.

During my trip in Rome, my family and I went on a tour and the tour guide asked what a certain building was used for (I forgot the specific word). While the name suggested something else, I remembered that the word was derivative of a courtroom, and everyone was shocked when I said the correct answer. I primarily remember that particular event just after learning about the various buildings in Rome during Latin I, as well as the basic government systems.

During the SAT, frequently confusing words are used in order to test vocabulary and the ability to fill in context. Many questions (although forgotten) had at least two words of Latin origin, frequently helping me avoid the wrong answers.

My grammar skills have grown immensely thanks to Latin. Not only have I learned about the separate voices, i also learned how to properly use participles and other special verbs to their fullest. It has been a staple of many essays i have written like the Essay for History (French Revolution) and the Colloquium.

Kid Icarus, a Nintendo made video game draws heavily from mythology, with its two major antagonists, Medusa and Hades. Not only are they both quite powerful, their powers are faithfully recreated within the game, revolving around under worldly power.

The Asterix and Obelix games are literally video games designed around the roman empire, with all kinds of culture from the architecture to the combat. Moreover, the characters themselves are based on actual history, albeit more exaggerated.

Latin is present all over the world, though more impactful in more places than others. It can help in a variety of ways, from tests to small fun facts of history. Latin is a great class to take, as it is fun, full of quirky history facts, and plenty of stab wounds to go all around.

How Latin has helped me

How Latin has helped me

BY: Holden Linderman

DC: Last year in 8th grade when we traveled to DC there were a lot of examples of Latin influence. I got some of them but I have just recently learned what a lot of them meant since I have been in Dr. Morgans class this year. Without Latin, I wouldn't have been able to understand a lot of the things we learned in DC if it wasn't for Latin. For example, when we were in a museum there was a Latin sentence that not many people understood but I was able to figure out what it meant by using context clues and my knowledge of the language.


English: I have struggled with vocabulary and writing in general throughout my whole life. However, since I started Latin things have become a lot easier and I have became a much better writer. One example of how Latin has helped me in English was the other day when we were discussing the odyssey he used a Latin term and I immediately knew what  Mr. Flickenger was talking about. Latin is such a great resource when it comes to English.


Odyssey: The Odyssey is about a hero named Odysseus and his troubles with gods on the way back to his home. I have realized that a lot of the events in roman history that we have learned about have turned up in the Odyssey. For example, Odysseus was the man that thought of the idea for the trojan horse and is the reason they won. The trojan war is also what sets the premise of the whole story. Another thing is a lot of the terminology and all the gods in the Odyssey all have something to do with Roman Culture and Latin terms.


Gladiator: Gladiator starring Russell Crowe is one of my all-time favorite movies. It takes place in Rome and covers so much we have learned in Latin. When I first watched I had just started Latin and I didn't enjoy the movie that much because I couldn't understand a lot of things that were occurring in the movie. I keep on watching it again and again. I have probably watched it about 5-6 times and with my knowledge of ancient Rome and Latin culture I was able to understand everything that happened and I love the movie even more now.


Marines: I watch a lot of US Marine documentaries specifically one on youtube called business insider. For a while, I didn't understand the motto of the US Marines but after learning about mottos throughout the past years, I know what their motto means. Their Motto is Semper Fidelis which is Latin for "always faithful."

All in all, Latin is an amazing Language that has helped me throughout my education. I know for a fact that I would not be as good at writing if it weren't for Latin. Latin isn't just something I'm forced to learn about it is something I choose to learn about because I love its culture. It is important for people to take Latin even after high school for many of the things listed above and more. 

Trey How Latin helps me in real life

Trey Smith

1. Understanding basic words like father mother and food when they said it in assassins creed odyssey last year
2. When my sister asked why the ambulance is called an ambulance and I told her because I knew the Latin root ambulant which means to walk, a couple weeks ago
3. When watching Justice League war and understanding references when Wonder Woman correlates all the members of the league to different roman gods a few weeks ago
4.When I saw the pokemon falinks and noticed that it was a pokemon based on a Roman army formation and had Roman armor and shields plus spears about half a year ago
5. When I am driving around with my mom and I see a certain house with columns or arches that are similar to roman architecture and how they would decorate their columns and archways which I see pretty often even a couple days ago

Overall while I do get a lot of comments about why would I take Latin instead of Spanish or others, I am very grateful that I chose what I did for many reasons. For one it introduced me to larger more advance words and how to deal with them using context but also the importance of sentence structure when forming the sentence correctly to get the correct point across. But also even before I joined Latin I had an appreciation and interest in just baseline stories of greek myths but now having a better understanding of Rome and their ways really brings more realism and intrest to the same stories and introduces new stories for me to read.

How Latin Helps me Everyday

Most may not realize but Latin is around us every day in one way or another. And a lot of the time you wouldn't even know its there unless you took a Latin class. One way I've seen Latin outside of school is at the mall. The store Hollister has a phrase called "carpe now" that is advertised a lot around the store and I only noticed it for the first time a few months ago. When I first saw this I remembered the motto, Carpe Diem, by  Horace that we learned in Latin in 7th grade. The phrase carpe diem translates to seize the day. So when I saw this I was like oh they are trying to say seize/get these items now. Another time Latin has helped me in school is when we have been reading the Odyssey by Homer in English class this year. In the Epic, the books/chapters are labeled by Roman Numerals and if it wasn't for Latin I wouldn't have been able to recognize any number after 5. I learned this skill from Latin in 7th and 8th grade when we would have to draw sticks with roman numerals to find out what seat to sit in.  Now I know when she says to look for chapter 21 I know to go to the page that has XXI on it. Another time Latin has helped me with the Odyssey is the story between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. In the Odyssey, it mentions their relationship and how it taught Odysseus to be loyal. Though when I originally read that passage I didn't really understand what it was trying to say about their relations. Then a few days after we read that passage, in Latin class we started talking about messed up family lines and got on the topic of Clymenestra and Agamemnon and Dr.Morgan explained to us their story, and the Odessy suddenly made a lot more sense. Another time I've seen Latin outside of school is when I went to go see the movie Black Christmas with a friend over the break. The movie was about all these sorority girls getting killed around campus when everyone leaves for Christmas break. When I saw this movie I had remembered the vocab word soror, sororis and how it translates to sister in Latin. Then I realized that that is one of the places the word sorority comes from because it is a sisterhood. This movie also had a lot of Greek and Roman references throughout it. One of the last examples of when I saw was in the comic I read called Lore Olympus. It's based on the story of Hades and Persephone but with a twist. When I first heard about the comic I was like wait I know this story because previously in Latin we did a reading comprehension worksheet on it. I learned that Hades tricked Persephone into staying in the underworld with him longer with a pomegranate, so when I saw a comic based on it I was really interested and decided to read it. Knowing about the story already gave me an advantage because I already knew a lot of the characters the author mentioned. Overall I'm really glad I chose to take Latin because it has not only helped me in school but out of school. I think this is one reason why it's so important to learn new languages because you start to pick up on things you wouldn't have known before. Especially Latin because a lot of the English language is based off Latin and people use Latin mottoes all the time without even realizing it.
-Samantha Ward