GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

K · 23-02-2009, 03:50 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

Sacha writes
On 22/2/09 18:18, in article , "K"
wrote:

More use is just to learn Latin! Direct link to gardening, and it makes
so many other languages so much easier.

But only if you know you're going to go into horticulture or medicine, I
suppose! At least with modern Italian you could talk to people in that most
beautiful of languages (IMO) and get a bit of plantlife into the little grey
cells, too!
I remember doing one term of Latin at school. To me, bits of that link up
with bits of the French and Italian I've picked up. The other day someone
was talking about Mimosa pudica and I recalled that the 'pudica' bit was
linked with 'pudere', shyness or modesty and of course, it's the plant whose
leaves curl up when touched. It's of no real use to me to know that but I
quite enjoy it when the memory kicks out something that might come in
useful.

I've been very glad of my latin in understanding unfamiliar words even
in English, though it's obviously even more use for Italian, Spanish and
Portuguese.

otoh, higher level maths is really useful for modern greek ;-)
--
Kay