Words we use that are in dead languages

[Lysander]

Someone else just made me think of this. There are many words we use day-to-day which are not English but are from languages that aren't spoken any more. Here are some examples - some are obvious, some are not.

Maximum
Minimum
Mega [ancient Greek for 'great']
Guru [Sanskrit for wise man]
Et cetera [Latin, of course]
Forum [Latin - public place]


Can anyone think of more?

 

[bledd]

circa

hate that word

 

[Mat]

Isn't most of our language traceable to Latin or Greek?

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

Isn't most of our language traceable to Latin or Greek?

A lot of it is, but not all.

Most european languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek are traced to the Indus valley, depending upon where you come from you could use words from elsewhere.

A lot of words used in the North, that most people in the south take for slang have Scandinavian roots.

I think that only Basque, Finish, Hungarian and Estonian and from a different root.

 

[Morba]

is latin actually dead? given that its still used for many many things i wouldnt say its dead (physiology / plants etc etc).

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

is latin actually dead? given that its still used for many many things i wouldnt say its dead (physiology / plants etc etc).

A living language is one that continues to change and grow because it's spoken on a regular basis. Apart from new nouns created for taxonomy Latin is dead.

I speak it like a native.

 

[Dj_Jestar]

I think by "dead" Lysander means not a native/spoken language in any given country anymore. I.e. I don't think anywhere has Latin as their native/spoken language.

 

[bledd]

besides Surrey^^

 

[daz]

The cash machines in the Vatican City display options in latin don't they?

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

besides Surrey^^

Since all the native Latin speakers have been dead for several hundred years, it's not that had to match them really

 

[The Dread Pirate]

I thought you were gonna be on about proper dead languages I.e what the aztecs used Mian ect... Not latin and othersuch languages because they aren't ever truely dead

 

[Nebzor]

et al
caveat emptor
ad infinitum
vice versa

There are tonnes. I cannot help but feel this thread is pointless and Wikipedia will aid you much more than we ever could.

 

[Ex-RoNiN]

Someone else just made me think of this. There are many words we use day-to-day which are not English but are from languages that aren't spoken any more. Here are some examples - some are obvious, some are not.

Maximum
Minimum
Mega [ancient Greek for 'great']
Guru [Sanskrit for wise man]
Et cetera [Latin, of course]
Forum [Latin - public place]


Can anyone think of more?

Greek isn't dead, nor is Sanskrit.

 

[Greenlizard0]

I wouldn't say that they're truely dead either.

And Sanskrit is still very widely studied, spoken and written in India though the number of such people are dwindling fast...

 

[Ex-RoNiN]

And Sanskrit is still very widely studied, spoken and written in India though the number of such people are dwindling fast...

Not really - all Hindu rituals are conducted in Sanskrit, which means a Hindu priest must speak it. As there are a lot of Hindus, you need lots of Hindu priests, thus lots of Sanskrit speakers...

 

[wordy]

Uber.

 

[Mat]

Uber.

Thats German which is still very much alive.

I would say a dead language is one that has no native speakers.

 

[The Dread Pirate]

I would say a dead language is one that has no native speakers.

Precisly

 

[Blue Cypher]

Uber.

i thought that was german?

 

[wordy]

wow, I didn't think three of you would bite