Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-26
rae sTrDT Of THE LATIN AND
GREEE LANGUAGES.

raE sTTDT Of THE LATIN AM
GREkE LANGUAGES.
The following is ons Of the address,
delivered before the Teachers Institus
a. Olympia, August I'd. The origins
subject was, Observation. Though
and Expression" but Miss Matte I
Hansee treated the subject spsciAcaIl
under the above given head:
As person studies a model in orde
10 have the knowledge required 70 exc
cute some design Of his own, so mus
one who desires to reach the hiQhes
standard of literary and oratoeiesl q
cellenee become acquainted With Ia.
masters of language. Ssntehoes an
either attractive, indifferent or disa
oreeabls. 1t requires skill to construo
we'll rounded out and euphonious SEN
tence.
The best statesmen, historians and
orators of recent centuries owe theiI
proficiency, in part, to their study OF
the classics. Many Of them have olose-
Iy followed the style of the best sncisp,
writers. The English peopie are hks
those who spoke these languages. Thit
people have followed the customs OF
the ancients, have used their plans ol
civilization, and some of these plans
they have improved. Their culture ID
based on that OF the Latins and 0reeks
There is no other culture Of all the his
toric nations 80 nearly perfect As theirs.
10 appreciate it folly then, and to con-
preheId its varied and great excellence,
one must become familiar with classic
literat1re.
Cuvier, from a single bone Of the
megatherium, deter mined its size and
fern. PbiloloRists have conducted
their research in similar man
ner. They have taken words, made
an analysis OF them and have studied
the relation of one 70 the other. This
analysis and study clearly exhibit the
civilization of the people By whom thess
words, in ancient times, had been used.
BY careful study Of q Languages and
its literature. one bocoues acQuainted
with the habits, the customs and the
laws of its people.
Modern nations desire TO equal, and,
If possible, tn surpass In culture, these
people Of antiquity. Since thia 10 their
dcotiOf T" 10 hDOooDnAy t0s oAs0 hAS0<4VA ~
10 know how these aucients made their
progress. II is, then, within the power
of the nations of today to attain 70 the
same nights of culture by using the
same means. To become familiar with
the means, the language must be
studied. Most of the EnQlish words are
thirty per cent. arc from the Latin and
A~1 hA (IHn~k TAA
words in ordinary use are principally
Anglo Saxon. Classic terms are mostly
used in literature and art. The Latin
departments. Greece being largely the
originator and emphatioally the pro-
moter OF art, of necessity gave names
TO which all succeeding ages have gwen
testimony as to their appropriateness,
must have been the result Of careful
study. These terms accurately express
their ideas.
The principal scientific names are
from the Latin and Greek. Without Q
knowledge Of these languages the soieu-
tito student finds that these names are
both literally and fgurativeiy "Gresk"
70 him. With this knowledge, these
ssudies are I'D longer difficult TO be
understood. but are full Of pleasure and
interest.
Latin and Greek words add greatly to
the beauty Of our language. Compost
tiou, u Ia true, IL mainly composed Of
the simple words, but the Latinized
words give 10 it Its sweetness and charm.
These words bring the history and asso-
oiations Of the past down 70 NJ. The
words Of both the Latin and Greek oou-
vey q clear au1 comprehensive meaning.
Ths Greek In particular expesaeee the
finest shades of thought, and with its
particles admits Of n large variety Of ex
preston. II presents to the mind every
change, though scarcely perceptible, In
expressing state Of the deepest misery
70 that of the highest enjoyment. When
mathematics have developed the reason
ing powera, and have been the subject
Of steady attention and careful thought,
and the natural sciences have trained 70
observe widely, even then all has not
been accomplished. One must possess
the power to express what knowledge be
has obtained in the dearest and moet
elegant language. Not until this u 40
complained, although one may have de-
veloped hts powers Of reasoning and Of
observation, has be secured breadth Of
sulturs. In addition 70 theos beneSte,
We are enabled TO enjoy the socieey Of
those Who arc spending THAR lives In In
tslleotual pursuiss. A kuOWledes Of the
languages gives one necessarily ooans In
formation concernine yaficuc nuhies1a.
md he ia sbie 10 oenverse infeIlicSnfiv
With thosa Who make 4 ansoisitv of
tham
ia boeone mastsr of thu ians.ae. 10
The sStent that \ collsss currionium r.
ouirea. s;snifiss NO littie sfuiv. ~. d.
MAJ and .ork Thass ha~s Z dssirsnis
sfTact in nracticai ISc' a. tis cioss ~
his oolIeciato conrse. the stodsnt fnds
himseif cenfronted by nov obstaclse.
He aoaroely Knows how 10 u,eet them at
An. INIT rsmemberino M. formsr di6-
cultiea and final suoosea. he pusbee a
md oonouers these ~. : Without
donbk sIuSy Of ~ lansuscee dsvDlona
persevsraneo aud induofSy. With 49,
savsntaoee come 4 cfeafer ono. This
Z mental diooiuline. Without this auy
person n unlt for an hat minor vocIr
hons. And ouroly, In 0isuipliniua o.
mind. the lanaaarcs have 4 voFv uromi-
nent usrt. PfeddenV Bsrtlett. of Dan
month C0llece. aaya: al ~ convor1nd