Dead Languages

You know what I'm talking about. Stuff you see in fantasy fiction and history books. All those different languages, alphabets, etc. that go unused by society unless a book or movie needs to write some nonsense down on an ancient tablet that will save the world from destruction.

Anyways, a few years back I got bored and in the time frame of a week I went ahead and memorized the written alphabet and an amateurish knowledge of the phonetics and grammar of a certain Norse Runic alphabet. (They called it Eldar Futhark, I called it my new way of writing secret messages on classroom chalkboards.)

So hears the question: Has anyone else reached this type of boredom and learned a pointless dead language? Or maybe you studied it in school. Or quite possibly there's an archaeologist on here that knows this stuff to an excess.

Time for a random discussion!

Well, I never thought of this. But I think it would be fun!

I've learned a few Latin phrases and used them for fun. I think its an interesting idea. I really would never have the time to completely learn one though. It would take too long, plus I wouldn't be able to practice it.

When I was in junior high school (a quick check of my profile will tell you how long ago that was), I actually learned Latin. We had a teacher who managed to make it fun, somehow, and I was fairly proficient at the basics when I got out of junior high. Never used it again. The only thing it did was help me some in Spanish class in high school.

At my age, I have no time for such foolishness. When I learn something new, now, it pushes something else out the back of my head. I can't afford to take a chance that what it pushes out is more important than what I have just learned.