Book description
An in-depth biography of the Latin language from its very beginnings to
the present day from the widely acclaimed author of 'Empires of the Word'.
The Latin language has been a constant in the cultural history of the
West for over two millennia. It has shaped the way we think of ourselves
and of our (central) place in the world. It has formed and united us as
Europeans, has been the foundation of our education for centuries and
defined the way in which we express our thoughts, our faith and our
knowledge of the workings of the world. And yet, Latin began life as the
cumbersome dialect of a small southern Italian city-state.
Its active use lasted three times as long as Rome's Empire and its use
echoes on in the law codes of half the world, in terminologies of
biology and medicine, and until forty years ago in the litany of the
Catholic Church, the most populous form of Christianity.
In 'Ad Infinitum', Nicholas Ostler examines the reasons why Latin made
such a long-lasting impact on language, and how it managed to stay alive
for two millennia despite the cultural superiority of Greek. He will
look at how Latin's sturdy roots remained untouched while empires rose
and fell, the influence of religion, war and the ways it has progressed
through medieval times right up until the present day. Praise for
'Empires of the Word':
'It is a compelling read, one of the most interesting books I have read
in a long while…a great book. After reading it you will never think of
language in the same way again.' Guardian
'Learned and entertaining…remarkably comprehensive as well as
thought-provoking.' Observer
'Ostler is particularly good on this linguistic fragility…This richly
various book offers new insights and information for almost everyone
interested in the past.' Sunday Telegraph
'A serious work of scholarship, but one that can be read from cover to
cover by the amateur enthusiast…the breadth of this analysis is
breathtaking…it does its job admirably.' Spectator
'Ambitious and well-researched.' New Statesman Nicholas Ostler is a
scholar and scientist of languages, who has a working knowledge of 26
languages and who, five years ago, set up the Foundation for Endangered
Languages, an international organisation, to provide funding and support
to document and revitalise languages in peril. With his own company
Linguacubun Ltd., he regularly advises governments and corporations on
policy in the field of computers and natural language processing.
