Latin, Or, The Empire of the Sign: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth CenturyFor almost three centuries, Latin dominated the civic and sacred worlds of Europe and, arguably, the entire western world. From the moment in the sixteenth century when it was adopted by the Humanists as the official language for schools and by the Catholic Church as the common liturgical language, it was the way in which millions of children were taught, people prayed to God, and scholars were educated. Francoise Waquet's history of Latin between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries is a highly original and accessible exploration of the institutional contexts in which the language was adopted. It goes on to consider what this conferring of power and influence on Latin meant in practice. Among the questions Waquet investigates are: What privileges were, and are still, accorded to those who claim to have studied Latin? Can Latin as a subject for study be anything more than purely linguistic or does it reveal a far more complex heritage? Has Latin's deeply embedded cultural legacy already given way to a nostalgic exoticism? Latin: A Symbol's Empire is a valuable work of reference, but also an important piece of cultural history: the story of a language that became a symbol with its own, highly significant empire. |
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Acta conventus neo-latini Ancien Régime ancient Antonio Vallisneri arguments authors Avignon baccalauréat Catholic cent Church Cicero Congress of Neo-Latin culture decline Dictionnaire Edgar Faure edition eighteenth century elite Encyclopédie England English études classiques Europe example expressed faithful favour Ferdinand Brunot France French German grade Greek guage Guido Calogero Henri-Jean Martin Hippolyte Ducos Histoire humanist Ibid inscriptions intellectual Italian Jean Guéhenno Jesuit jours l'éducation l'enseignement langue française Latin grammar Latin language Latinists learn Latin letter lingua linguistic literary liturgy lycées mass modern moral Neo-Latin Neo-Latin Studies nineteenth century Oeuvres old language Paris Pierre practice priests pronunciation published pupils quotations reform Revue role Roman Rome sciences seventeenth century social society speak Latin study of Latin teachers teaching texts tion tradition translation Turin understand University Press vernacular Vittorio Alfieri vulgar tongue words writings written wrote XIXe siècle XVIIe