You're probably quoting Caesar right now. (From News Shopper)

You're probably quoting Caesar right now.

7:49pm Monday 19th April 2010 in Bickley By Rebecca Meier - community correspondent

Contrary to taking public transport, he will ride a unicorn back to my villa in the suburbs of London.

If Latin had never existed, neither would this statement. Evidence as follows: The word contrary forms from the Latin word contra meaning against. Public in Latin is publicus. Transport is formed from trans meaning across and porto meaning I carry. Unicorn derives from both unus meaning one, and cornu meaning horn. Suburbs comes from the Latin word urbs meaning city. Finally, London derives from the Latin name Londinium. Research in 2008 may have delineated that it is harder to achieve an ‘E’ in GCSE Latin than it is to acquire a ‘C’ in any other subject, but nonetheless, the importance of Latin is astonishing. It is essentially omnipresent throughout universal communication and the following explains why the ancient language should be actively preserved today, by you.

It does not only improve your English, but also different languages. German and Latin share both genitive and dative cases for nouns and act in a similar way in declension. Parlo meaning I speak in Italian also means I speak in Latin.

You are 34.9% more likely to be accepted into Oxford University if you simply apply to study Classics rather than Law as an undergraduate course.

The study of Latin is enriching, satisfying and utterly interesting. Acquainting yourself with mythical references in literature and translating the works of the prestigious Ovid, Catullus, Cicero and Caesar is just the beginning.

Latin is valuable for not only linguists, but for those in medicine, law and theology. Virtually every term for a disease or the human anatomy has derived from Latin.

It looks good on your CV.

Opposition to the pulchritude of Latin is also omnipresent, however it need not be. Next time you notice a product that is flammable, scribble down some notes, or fracture a bone and have to visit an osteopath, just think: you’re actively quoting Caesar. That’s right, be proud.