San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-31
The Study of Latin
BY II. Arlington Bruce.

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To the many educators and others
who decry the teaching of Latin III the
schools, would suggest an attentive
reauing Of report ny A. X. Gllliland
OF Lafayette college, made public
through the Journal of Educaa onuI
Psychology.
Mr.. GIlliland's report deals with an
interesting series OF experiments under
taken Tor the specific purpose of en-
deayuring to ascertain what value, II
any, Latin has for the modern mind.
Since Latin enters largely into the de-
riyation Of English words, it seemed
to Mr.. Gilliland that one way in which
Latin should be valuable would be in
helping people TO define words of Latin
origin.
Also it occurred 10 him that pos
sibly knowledge of Latin might increase
defmition-abinty with regard to Eng
lish words in general. Accordingly lie
drew up a list of forty words where
/! with to test the definition-ability oil
students at Lafayette. len words were
of Anglo-Saxon origin, ten were derived
from the Greek and twenty were Latin
derivatives.
Among the Anglo-Saxoon words were
such us 1.-THE, midwife, cog, bier, budget
and bolster. Words from the Greek
included synchronize, phenomenon, lith-
ograpb, blbliophile and genesis. Typical
Latin representatives were ossify, quad
ruped, hibernate, predatory, impe-
cunious and adhesion.
1t was decided TO credit the students
tested with three points for every word
correctly defined. When the definition
was in general correct two points were
to be allowed, and one point when the
student had no more than hazy idea
of words correct meaning.
On this basis the testing began, the
words being given orally to 1lJ fresh
men, who set down their definitions in
writing Two examiners checked their
papers to insure fairness in grading.
Among the freshmen were many who
had studied no Latin whatever. The
rest had studied it for periods ranging
from two TO six years. Scrutiny of
the papers turned in led Mr.. Gilliland
to this definite conclusion:
"NOt only were those who had
studied more Latin able to define more
words of Latin origin, but they were
also able to define more words of Anglo
Saxon and Greek origin appreciably
better"
Specifically, the non-students of Latin
averaged 14.6 points for words of Anglo
Saxon origin, rs points for Greek
words and 173 for Latin derivatives.
The averages for those who had studied
Latin two years were 1879, 1913 and
23.1.
For every additional year of Latin
study there was an appreciable balm in
definition-ability. Until, in the case OF
the six-year students of Latin, the high
averages were reached of n points for
words from Anglo-SaxOn roots, 12.5
points for The Greek words and 10
points for words from Latin.
And this, remember, is only one
benefit accruing from the study Of
Latin. But it is benefit so important
as of itself to justify the re-esteblish-
ing of Latin as a compulsory subject in
all schools. For, as pointed out some
years ago by an educational author
ity:
"All thinking is in terms of Ian.
guage, and until there is a sound lin
guistic basis you can have no real
thinking. 1t is therefore the paramount
problem of education TO create first and
foremost in the minds of children as
rich and full and varied knowledge of
words as possible"
We hear much nowadays of a wide
spread dissemination and inability to
think. Possibly the decline in the study
has more TO do with this than is gen
orally suspected. Certainly that is what
Mr. Gilliland's findings suggest.
Copyright, 1929. by the Associated
NewsDnpers