Whispers of the Past

The importance of learning extinct languages

Sydney Jackson

Latin, an extinct language, is offered in 7 courses, ranging from beginner to advanced levels at the University of Minnesota. Many students here may question the significance and plausible utilization of these languages, opting for the “useful” and extant languages of today like Spanish, Chinese or French. However, it can be argued that extinct languages like Latin, Old Norse, Ancient Egyptian, and others are just as useful and informative as popular languages used today. 

Extinct languages once thrived in their regions of the world. For example, Latin was once the primary language in ancient Rome and Italy, specifically during the Roman Empire. However, after the southern European empire’s fall, Latin transformed into Italian, a similar language based on a Latin dialect. This similarly happened to other extinct languages. Their extinction is due to cultural assimilation and blending throughout the world as time went on. As transportation technology evolved and advanced, people around the world came into contact with one another, started living with each other, and thus shared their culture. This had an impact on languages. These new, more prominent languages or dialects dominated the previous languages of that region. And as time went on, many chose not to learn the non-prominent languages, seeing it as not useful. This is why we have extinct languages.

Despite their disappearance, extinct languages are still very important. They give us a glimpse of the past lives of humanity. When being decently fluent in these types of languages, reading and understanding their history is enhanced. Translations can often be wrong or misunderstood, but in their exact language the authentic voice is present and truly appreciated.