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Alright, thanks. So neither of them changed much more dramatically/radically than the other? And I'm already taking German, but the way the payment scheme works I can take another class for no extra cost and this is something that I want to because I have a deep fascination with history and ancient philosophy. I appreciate the honest advice but I'm really doing this for me and won't be disappointed when/if it doesn't turn out to be financially profitable.
David Walker
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If you haven't studied any ancient languages so far, I'd really start with Latin! Don't worry that it's Classical and earlier than what you want to focus on, what you want is a good foundation in grammar, syntax, vocabulary, etc. Once you conquer that, a shorter course on medieval Latin will be a breeze--in fact you'll see them making all the "mistakes" that students make in first-year Classical Latin! I honestly don't know how Latin from 300 AD may be different from Ciceronian, but it won't be as much changed as medieval Latin. Heck, might be more change in pronounciation than in writing, but that's a whole different argument! Of course, even in Cicero's time most people didn't speak Ciceronian Latin.
Don't even touch Greek without a basis in Latin, yipes! I don't know Koine, but I have a feeling it's enough different from Classical, let alone Homeric, that it has its own name! Again, a foundation in Classical or Homeric Greek may make Koine much easier to pick up. I seem to remember that that courses like Medieval Latin and Koine Greek were only offered as advanced courses, to students who had already taken the basic Classical languages, but of course that may have changed over 25 years, or just be different from school to school.
Hic haec hoc!
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
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