Latin to be banned in official British documents

Submitted by Milica on Sat, 2008/11/29 - 08:43.
Classical scholars in Great Britain are appalled by the recent decision by some local councils to ban the use of Latin words and phrases from official documents. The bureaucrats say that Latin is no longer widely understood.

The Plain English Campaign would ban 19 Latin words including bona fide, ad lib, et cetera and e.g., as well as French words such as in lieu and fait accompli. "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."