The Enduring Cachet of Latin

Latin may be fading from most British classrooms, but its mystique is alive and well. In this episode, we explore why a language barely spoken for centuries still carries such powerful social prestige in England—from its history as a “smug social shibboleth” for the elite to its lingering aura of cleverness that novelist Evelyn Waugh once weaponized for snobbery. We trace how universities eventually dropped Latin requirements to make room for modern sciences, and why today’s efforts—like the Latin Excellence Programme and reforms at Cambridge—aim to open the subject beyond “posh white boys.” Ultimately, we ask: what keeps Latin’s glow alive? And why does mastering a dead language still feel like a ticket to status in modern Britain?https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/10/06/a-ps4m-scheme-to-bring-latin-into-british-state-schools-begins