UK councils: no Latin lovers

[Michael L. Friesner]

LONDON – It's a bona fide scandal.
Britain's Latin and Greek aficionados are outraged at a decision by some local
councils to veto the use of Latin words and phrases — including bona fide, ad
lib, et cetera and e.g. — in official documents.
The councils say Latin is no longer widely understood. But classicists say axing
Latin phrases is an attack on the foundations of English — the linguistic
equivalent of "ethnic cleansing."
"Think of the number of words from Latin that are now part of the English
language: alias, alibi, exit, terminus," said Peter Jones, a retired professor
of classics at the University of Newcastle and founder of Friends of Classics.
"Are they going to cut out those words?"
"The English language is a hybrid animal that has adopted any number of words
and phrases from other languages which have become a part of English," he
added. "To deny the hybrid nature of the English language is almost like ethnic
cleansing of English."
The council in Bournemouth, a town of 170,000 on England's south coast, has a
"plain language" policy that lists 19 Latin words and phrases to be avoided,
and suggests replacements. The council recommends "improvised" instead of ad
hoc, and "genuine" for bona fide.
Salisbury City Council in southern England also advises staff to avoid ad hoc
and et cetera, as well as French phrases like "in lieu" and "fait accompli."
British local authorities have been under pressure from their umbrella body, the
Local Government Association, and others to cut their use of jargon and
confusing language.
The Plain English Campaign, which has been fighting official jargon for three
decades, said a majority of councils had adopted some form of plain-speaking
guidelines, although few appear to have gone as far as Bournemouth in
eliminating Latin.
The campaign said it supported the council's policy.
"We are talking about public documents where people need to read, understand and
take action that may affect their lives," spokeswoman Marie Clair said Monday.
"This is information that everybody needs to know about, regardless of their
level of education."
Latin and ancient Greek were once considered the cornerstones of a first-class
education. But the languages are no longer widely taught in Britain. Friends of
Classics says Latin is taught in only 15 percent of state schools — a modest
increase from a few years ago.
But Latin's backers say thousands of common English words have Latin roots, and
argue the replacement phrases can be even more difficult to understand. To some
ears "existing condition" is less harmonious than "status quo," and "the other
way round" less snappy than "vice versa."
No one from the Bournemouth council was willing to speak to The Associated Press
on Monday, but a spokeswoman said the language guidelines have been in effect
for two years without attracting notice.
Despite the policy, the town retains a Latin motto on its crest: "Pulchritudo et
salubritas" — beauty and health.
Linguistic controversies are nothing new in Britain, cradle of the English
language, where people have strong opinions on what constitutes proper usage.
In recent years officials have moved to avoid language that gives offense to
ethnic minorities, disabled people and other groups.
Predictably, some feel the drive has gone too far. Many were bemused earlier
this year when it was reported that a town council had banned the word
"brainstorm" because it might offend people with epilepsy, a condition that
involves periodic electrical storms inside the brain. Tunbridge Wells council
advised using "thought showers" instead.
London's Harrow Council says banning Latin is a step too far.
"I would have thought banning phrases which have been part of the texture of our
language for centuries is frankly the least of a town hall's problems when it
comes to communicating with the public," said Paul Osborn, the council's head
of communications.

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