Why Should I Study an Ancient Language?

What’s the point in learning an ancient language that no one speaks anymore? It’s a fair question. Yet many people still study classical languages — and for good reason. Delving into a language from the past can enrich your life, from boosting your career to keeping your brain sharp. So let’s look at some key benefits of learning an ancient language like Latin, Ancient Greek, Ancient Egyptian and more.

Studying ancient languages benefits people in a variety of professional fields. For instance, if you’re considering a career in medicine, law, or science, learning Latin or Ancient Greek is a string to your bow. That’s because these professions use terms from both languages. For instance, the legal term “habeas corpus” comes from Latin and means “bring forth the body”.

If you want to be an archaeologist, museum curator or archivist, knowing an ancient language will give you a big competitive edge. That’s why it’s well worth taking a course in Biblical Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Ancient Egyptian, Latin or Sanskrit. The same goes for anyone interested in an academic career in theology, history, philosophy or comparative religion. Studying an ancient language isn’t just enjoyable, it can also enhance your professional prospects.

Who doesn’t want to be a little bit smarter? Research shows that studying highly structured languages like Ancient Greek or Latin gives your brain a workout, enhancing your analytical and problem-solving skills. This is particularly crucial as we age because studying an ancient language and memorising new words can keep those grey cells fighting fit. Plus there are many other benefits to learning a new language in general, like improving your mental health.

Did you know that over 60% of English words have Latin or Greek roots? Meaning that when you learn Latin or Greek, you get to know English better. For instance, “alibi” comes from Latin and means “elsewhere”, while “atom” is from Ancient Greek and translates into “indivisible”. Plus words with the prefix “tele” (like telephone or television) come from the ancient Greek word for “distant”.

Taking a Latin course gives you a better grasp of English. When you come across an English word you don’t understand, knowing Latin will help you to guess its meaning. And if you’re studying English as a second language, learning Ancient Greek or Latin will make it feel a lot less mysterious. For instance, English idioms like “per se” or “vice versa” come straight from Latin.

Studying Latin can help spruce up your English skills too. Good spelling and grammar are crucial for anyone wanting to work in teaching, academia or communications (and are crucial life skills for everyone else). As many English words have kept their Latin spelling, studying it means you’re less likely to make mistakes in English. And as Latin grammar is highly structured, once you start learning it, your English grammar could improve naturally.

Latin, Ancient Greek and Sanskrit aren’t ”dead languages” — they’re very much alive and kicking, just in modern and revised versions. In other words, all three are skeleton keys for many languages across the world. These ancient tongues evolved over thousands of years into the languages we speak today.

Post-Roman empire, people in Italy, France and Spain kept speaking a local form of Latin that gradually turned into what we now call Italian, French and Spanish. By studying Latin, you’ll start to see connections between various European languages and might pick up vocabulary faster as a result.

Imagine sitting in a cafe, sipping a cappuccino and reading Homer in the original Ancient Greek — as far as life goals go, it’s not a bad one. Some of the greatest masterpieces of world literature were written in ancient or early medieval languages. These include The Epic of Gilgamesh (Akkadian), Beowulf (Old English), and the Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit). Likewise, the 4th-century Gothic Language translation of the bible was a major literary milestone.

Yet sadly, a lot can be lost in translation when these texts are published in English. Being able to read them in their original language gives you valuable insights that you might otherwise miss. Books like The Odyssey are cornerstones of our civilisation, inspiring generations of writers and thinkers. Why not learn to read them in their truest form?

Got writing a novel on your bucket list? You could find inspiration in the ancient world, as studying Ancient Greek or Latin has led many writers down rich creative avenues. For instance, classical languages and myths influenced the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Donna Tartt, Ali Smith and Madeline Miller (to name but a few). 

And it’s not just the literary arts that have been influenced by ancient languages. If you’re an artist, graphic designer or typographer,  courses in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs or Old Persian Cuneiform can open up new creative ideas. Matisse, Picasso, and Stanley Donwood (Radiohead’s album cover designer), were all inspired by ancient scripts. 

People around the world are more connected than we sometimes imagine and have been for thousands of years. Language is the golden thread that shows us these connections.

For instance, “father” comes from the Sanskrit term “pitar”. Over 4,000 years ago, this word travelled West via Indo-European migration routes, becoming “patēr” in Ancient Greece, “pater” in Latin, and “fader” in ancient German. Later, this evolved into “father”, as well as “pere” (French), “padre” (Italian), “pita” (Hindi), and “athair” (Irish Gaelic). Who knew that Irish Gaelic and Hindi share words with the same origin?

When you learn an ancient language, you’ll start seeing the invisible links that join people together. Many seemingly disparate cultures are part of one huge linguistic family with roots reaching back into the distant past.

Studying an ancient or medieval language is a voyage of discovery where you get to see the world through a whole new lens. In this way, you’ll feel a much deeper connection with peoples and cultures from the past, whether that’s 7th-century Brits or Ancient Egyptians. Who knows what you might learn from exploring a different worldview?

Study Ancient Languages at City Lit

Unlock the secrets of the ancient world by signing up for a City Lit ancient language course today. Why not start an exciting journey into the past?