Hi! I just had a random linguistic question. I was thinking of terms like “alma mater” and graduation designations like “cum laude” etc. and even in academic writing we commonly have phrases like “ad hominem” or “ad nauseum”. Why have these terms persisted in English societies, and where did integration of them with academia come from?
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In a single phrase: cultural consequences of the Roman Empire.
The whole story would of course fill many books – and indeed there are plenty of books about it! – but here’s a general summary of key factors.
1. Christianity: Greek and Latin were key languages in the origins of the Christian church. Latin became standardized as the language of western Christianity for many centuries. This led to it being a “prestige” language.
2. Schools and churches: Related to the above, “academia” for a very long time was synonymous with “church”. All scholars were religious scholars. The centers of learning and study were religious institutions. When they eventually split off into slowly-more-secular institutions, they kept many of the trappings and traditions, including the use of Latin.
3. Renaissance: Archaeology and history were popular in the Renaissance period, and specifically the Greeks and Romans became semi-mythical “ideal societies” or at least “enlightened societies” in the eyes of popular culture of the time. Things associated with those cultures became (once again) fashionable and associated with sophistication. The very concept of the term Renaissance – a “rebirth” and “rediscovery” – alludes to that. This reinforced and “renewed” the use of Latin in high society, including in education.
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