Latin Words for Modern Technology?

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Carolina Conlanger
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Latin Words for Modern Technology?

Post by Carolina Conlanger »

Hello, I have a basic understanding of Latin (it's been a few years since I've taken classes), and in the recent past I've met people who know Latin and can speak it as well. I can make basic conversation in the language but I feel like I'm not doing it right when I say words like "internetum" and "refrigeratorus." Is there some sort of well-accepted list of Latin words for modern technology?



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Re: Latin Words for Modern Technology?

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This is not all that difficult, as many modern concepts actually have Latin names - refrigerâtor, for instance, is good Latin. Looking at Romance languages is obviously helpful: when French has ordinateur and Spanish has ordenador 'computer', you can "reconstruct" the Latin word as ordinâtor. Any many modern internationalisms are Greek, which can be used, too, as the Romans themselves weren't afraid of borrowing from Greek. So when you already have philosophia, you can just as well have psychologia without doing violence to the language.
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Re: Latin Words for Modern Technology?

Post by hwhatting »

The Vatican as one organization that still regularily uses Latin is trying to keep Latin up to date. The dictionary is here. (It's Italian - Latin, but we're all lovers of languages here, aren't we?)

Carolina Conlanger
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Re: Latin Words for Modern Technology?

Post by Carolina Conlanger »

WeepingElf wrote:This is not all that difficult, as many modern concepts actually have Latin names - refrigerâtor, for instance, is good Latin. Looking at Romance languages is obviously helpful: when French has ordinateur and Spanish has ordenador 'computer', you can "reconstruct" the Latin word as ordinâtor. Any many modern internationalisms are Greek, which can be used, too, as the Romans themselves weren't afraid of borrowing from Greek. So when you already have philosophia, you can just as well have psychologia without doing violence to the language.
That makes sense.
The Vatican as one organization that still regularily uses Latin is trying to keep Latin up to date. The dictionary is here. (It's Italian - Latin, but we're all lovers of languages here, aren't we?)
Thanks for the link!

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