Inside the Outdoors: Thank Caesar, and Latin, for August

In the world of foreign languages, nothing seems more foreign than Latin.

Some who poke fun at the language not only describe it as “dead,” but claim that studying Latin prepares you for just one thing in life: more study of Latin.

True or untrue, I was unaware of such opinions when as a ninth grader I pondered how I would fulfill a high school language elective.

Perhaps I was influenced by my religious upbringing. Back then, our church services were conducted in Latin. As an “altar boy” — they’re “servers” now and include both genders — I had learned to respond with most of the right Latin words, at most of the right times.

I already had one foot in the Latin door, you might say. So, when my fellow ninth graders chose French or German, I fatefully chose Latin.

I studied Latin for jus