I am a great fan of the Latin Language and its study greatly helped me to gain proficiency in the English language, especially in grammar.
I was one of the first "victims" of modern education, as grammar started to be discounted in the public schools in the early 1950's in favor of a more trendy method of teaching English. As a result, I knew little grammar until I took my years of Latin.
Latin was a living language as late as the 15th Century. I can no longer find the source for this, but I remember reading, decades ago, that Petrarch insisted that the classical forms of Latin be used rather than the Vulgate or common forms spoken in every day life.
That would be similar, I suppose, to imposing Shakespeare's grammar and syntax on modern English. So powerful was the influence of Petrarch, in Italy, that he was able to force it through. As a result, Latin died out as a spoken language as the common speakers were unable or unused to the classical formations.
These folks moved into the dialects, and swelled the ranks of those speaking early Italian, French and the others.
As I state, I cannot find the source for this comment, and I am taking it from memory. I shall look for it, but it is interesting.
