New-York tribune., 1907-01-07
LATIN DEAD OR ALIFEr

The head masters of the public schools OF
England, by the decisive vote of 81 to II. have
adopted the recommendation OF the Classical
Society, that hereafter the reformed" sys-
TEN Of Latin pronunciation be used. instead
of the English" method. Instead Of pronoune-
ing Latin words as the same combinations OF
letters would be pronounced in English, there
fore, as has hitherto been the practically in
variable rule In English schools and colleges,
pupils will be taught to speak them according
TO the artiicially modified Continental" sys-
tenn, which is now widely in use In this coun-
try and which many scholars profess to believe
is more like that of the ancient Romans than
any other which has been employed in modern
times. This will mean marked. perhaps we
might say an epochal, change in English Latin
teaching which is sure to provoke much con-
troversy in that country and which will be
observed with much interest here, though Amer
lean interest will be quite detached, because of
the already general Use Of the reformed" pro-
nunciaton here.
It will occur to the reflective observer that
there two practical conceptions Of the study
and use of Latin. One is that of a dead and
the other that of a living language. If the for
mer is to prevail, pronunciation Is compare
lively lmmaterlal for dead language does
not need TO be spoken at all. But there are
some who maintain that Latin is a living Ian
guage, seeing that thousands OF men in various
lands habitually employ 1t in speech and writ
ing; and there are many more who contend,
With much reason. that the easiest and best
way Of learning 1t, even as a classical curiosity
is through treating it MS though it Were a living
tongue. If we take this last view of the case
and we believe the inclination TO do so Is grow
Ing among the most successful teachers of the
classics-the question of pronunciation is at
once raised TO high rank, for a living language
is essentially one which is used in conversation
and oratory. But in that view of the case there
may be found arguments both for and against
the reformed" pronunciation
1t may be urged that living language must
be everywhere the same, and must be pro-
nounced the same in all countries, and not vary
according to the local language of the land in
which it is used Theoretically there is some
force in that analogy. Yet 1t must be recog-
nized that such universally of pronunciation
will not be nearly attained by this change of
Latin pronunciation In England, for the ire
formed is not the "ContinentaI' system, but
a much modified edition of it, differing from 1t
almost as much as the English system did
There Is no agreement among the Latin schol-
ars of France, Germany, Italy and Russia
Again, 1t must be realized that there Is no
Latin nation, and that so far as the language
lives it lives and must live on the tongues Of
men Oh OLueT hdllOuS, WHO use 1t as an altern1-
tive to their yernaculars, and who are, there
fore, practically certain in the majority of cases
to invest it with their own native pecullarities
OF pronunciation. There will also be those whe
will still insist that it is far easier to learn
and to use Latin as living tongue If we pro,
nounce 1t after the fashion of our own tongue
instead of learning entirely new and arbi-
trary system which Is like nothing else on
the earth or in the waters beneath.
To many there Will also appear much force
In the argument that Latin is most easily to
be learned, and Is most proftsbly to be studied
and used in It's chronological relationship tb
the English language the source from which
the latter was In considerable part derived
Certainly that view of it would seem to give
much force to the plea FOR retaining the Eng
lish pronunciation, for thus Is the intimate re-
lationship between the two languages best to
be perceived That child would be a duIlard
who did not quickly perceive the tie between
the Latin "clrcumventus" and the English "cI,-.
cumvent," If the two were pronounced accord
ing to the same rule but we should hardly send
one TO the Ounce block for not instantly per-
ceiving by the ear that our "circumvent' was
derived from ''kirkoomwayntoos 1t NAV well
be asked what it will profit us if we do approx
innate our speech of Latin to that which some
suppose-but do not know-to have been the
standard of people now long dead, and at the
Same time divorce it immeasurably further