Latin versus Greek

[ClemSnide]

I'm a Classics student, planning to work in the general area of Latin prose literature and history. And I have a terrible confession to make: I hate Greek. When I started studying Latin, I fell for it hard. I loved it (and still love it) so much that I studied it for hours on end everyday, yabbered on and on about it and in it to loved ones, and proclaimed it my 'mother tongue'. Yes I found it difficult at points but that didn't matter to me at all. In fact, my first experience with Latin was what sealed the deal for me when it came to my future: I finally decided at that point to go to grad school in Classics.

Not so with Greek. I have done as well in it as Latin but I dread opening my Greek book. The language hasn't lost its strangeness for me. Every minute that I'm studying it for an exam, I have an inner monologue going about how much I dislike it and try to suppress that as much as I might, I can't get rid of it entirely. I don't know why I dislike it so much, maybe because I find it more difficult, maybe because I sometimes feel like I'm learning some alien language - it just feels extremely foreign and my mind rebels against it.

Anyway, that sentiment isn't bad enough to stop me from continuing on further in Greek to the advanced level and I'm mentally prepared to deal with it for the rest of my life, but I can't help but wonder if other people out there have a similar marked preference for one of the languages over the other? Tell me I'm not alone, and that I'll soon come to like Greek.

[Thanks4Downvoting]

I'm a Classics student, planning to work in the general area of Latin prose literature and history. And I have a terrible confession to make: I hate Greek. When I started studying Latin, I fell for it hard. I loved it (and still love it) so much that I studied it for hours on end everyday, yabbered on and on about it and in it to loved ones, and proclaimed it my 'mother tongue'. Yes I found it difficult at points but that didn't matter to me at all. In fact, my first experience with Latin was what sealed the deal for me when it came to my future: I finally decided at that point to go to grad school in Classics.

Not so with Greek. I have done as well in it as Latin but I dread opening my Greek book. The language hasn't lost its strangeness for me. Every minute that I'm studying it for an exam, I have an inner monologue going about how much I dislike it and try to suppress that as much as I might, I can't get rid of it entirely. I don't know why I dislike it so much, maybe because I find it more difficult, maybe because I sometimes feel like I'm learning some alien language - it just feels extremely foreign and my mind rebels against it.

Anyway, that sentiment isn't bad enough to stop me from continuing on further in Greek to the advanced level and I'm mentally prepared to deal with it for the rest of my life, but I can't help but wonder if other people out there have a similar marked preference for one of the languages over the other? Tell me I'm not alone, and that I'll soon come to like Greek.

I wish I could console you. I really wish I could, but I love Latin and I hate Greek...Years into it, I still hate it. Your hatred won't go away or at least it hasn't for me. Good luck and remember: persevere! That's the only way to make it through the pain of that terrible language.

[LateAntique]

I started Greek first and loved it. However, I love Latin too. I think the issue is that Latin gives one more 'returns' on their investment pretty immediately whereas Greek is still very difficult 2-3 years in. Greek makes up for this in the long-run by not being as ambiguous as Latin. I have been reading Cicero's letters this semester and he uses words with a bazillion different meanings (I have never chosen the right one). I don't find that to be the case with Greek.

Keep it up and you will hopefully come to love Greek.

[Thanks4Downvoting]

I started Greek first and loved it. However, I love Latin too. I think the issue is that Latin gives one more 'returns' on their investment pretty immediately whereas Greek is still very difficult 2-3 years in. Greek makes up for this in the long-run by not being as ambiguous as Latin. I have been reading Cicero's letters this semester and he uses words with a bazillion different meanings (I have never chosen the right one). I don't find that to be the case with Greek.

Keep it up and you will hopefully come to love Greek.

That is true. With Greek it's there are fewer things left open for interpretation and I suppose I can appreciate that.