Latin and Romance languages

Skippy   Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:22 pm GMT
This has probably been covered, but I can't find it. I'm teaching myself Latin and in the text I found, it mentioned that learning it would be about as difficult for an English speaker as a Spanish speaker. The first thing I thought was that's ridiculous (like some of the other claims in the text), but because the Romance languages are more descendants of vulgar Latin than classical Latin, is it possible that it is equally difficult for Romance speakers and English speakers? Thanks!
HM   Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:43 pm GMT
Latin is somewhat easier for a Slavic speaker.
cases are easy   Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:57 pm GMT
Latin is somewhat easier for a Slavic speaker.

Stop writing stupid things, idiots
Cases are not all in a language. Latin Verbal system is extremely hard for a slavic native speaker!
HM   Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:19 pm GMT
Still easier than for an english native speaker.
Guest   Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:34 pm GMT
English has one case: genitive , so Latin is easier for them because Romance languages have 0 cases.
Skippy   Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:13 pm GMT
Technically English also has a nominative case...

So two cases in English. But English has a lot of words and terms pulled directly from Latin, as opposed to Spanish or Italian, whose vocabulary is mostly from the vulgar.

But how similar are the verb forms for Latin and modern Romance languages? I know very little about the two.
fulana   Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:10 pm GMT
<<So two cases in English. But English has a lot of words and terms pulled directly from Latin, as opposed to Spanish or Italian, whose vocabulary is mostly from the vulgar.>>


Wrong ,Spanish has loads of terms coming directly from Classical Latin, they are called cultismos and were introduced mainly during the Renaissance. If English used Classical Latin as a source of vocabulary, you can figure out that Romance languages, which derive themselves from Latin, did the same to the same if not bigger degree. Also English has vulgar Latin words, those that derive from French and Norman French. IN English 50% of non Germanic vocabulary corresponds to Classical Latin and 50% to French-Norman.