describing languages, linguists use different principles of classification.Languages are combined into groups according to geographical (territorial) principle, in the vicinity of the grammatical structure, on the basis of linguistic relevance, used in everyday speech live.
Using the latter criterion, the researchers divided all the languages of the world into two groups - living and dead languages.The main features of the first - use them in everyday conversation, language practice, a relatively large community of people (nation).A living language is constantly used in everyday communication, change, complicated or easier with time.
most noticeable changes occur in the lexicon (vocabulary) Language of the words obsolete, archaic acquires color and contrast, to designate new concepts appear more and more new words (neologisms).Other language system (morphological, phonetic, syntactic) are more inert, change very slowly and unobtrusively.
dead language, in contrast to the living, not the language used in everyday practice.All of it unchanged, are preserved, unchanging elements.A dead language is embodied in a variety of written records.
all dead languages can be divided into two groups: first, those who once, in the past, been used for live communication, and subsequently, for various reasons, have ceased to be used in a live human communication (Latin, Greek, Coptic, Old Norse, Gothic).The second group includes those dead languages, which no one ever told;they were created specifically for the performance of any function (so, for example, there was the Old Slavonic language - the language of the Christian liturgical texts).A dead language most often transformed into a lively, actively used (for example, gave way to the modern Greek languages and dialects of Greece).
Latin occupies a special place among the rest.Without a doubt, Latin - a dead language: in colloquial practice it do not consume from about the sixth century AD.But on the other hand, Latin found the widest application in the pharmaceutical, medical, scientific terminology, the Catholic liturgy (Latin - the official "state" language of the Holy See and the Vatican State).As you can see, "dead" Latin is widely used in various fields of life science knowledge.All serious philological universities in Latin necessarily include training, keeping thus traditions of classical liberal education.In addition, the dead language - a source of short and intensive aphorisms that have passed through the centuries: if you want peace - prepare for war;memento mori;Physician, heal thyself - all these sayings "born" from the Latin.Latin - a very logical and well-built language, cast, no-nonsense and verbal husks;He not only used for utilitarian purposes (writing prescriptions, the formation of a scientific thesaurus), but is in some measure a model, standard language.
