Editing Neo-Latin (section)

====Latin and Classical education====
Despite the trends in the 1700s towards lessening emphasis on Latin, study of the language alongside Greek was given a significant boost after 1800 through a revival of humanist education, especially for elite education in France, Germany, England and elsewhere.<ref>{{harvnb|Waquet|2001|pp=26–29}}</ref>

In this model, Latin suffered in status against Ancient Greek, which was seen as the better aesthetic example, but both languages were deemed necessary for a "Classical education". Latin was still generally a requirement for University education. Composition skills were still needed for submission of theses, for instance, in the early part of the century.

In England, study of the Classics became more intense at institutions like [[Eton College|Eton]], or [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]]. In grammar schools, however, study of Latin had declined, stopped or become tokenistic in the majority of cases at the point of the [[Taunton Commission]]'s enquiry in 1864, a situation which it helped to reverse in the coming decades.<ref>{{harvnb|Waquet|2001|pp=27–28}}</ref>

The renewed emphasis on the study of [[Classical Latin]] as the spoken language of the Romans of the 1st centuries BC and AD, was similar to that of the Humanists but based on broader linguistic, historical, and critical studies of Latin literature. It led to the exclusion of Neo-Latin literature from academic studies in schools and universities (except for advanced historical language studies); to the abandonment of Neo-Latin neologisms; and to an increasing interest in the reconstructed Classical pronunciation, which displaced the several regional pronunciations in Europe in the early 20th century.

Coincident with these changes in Latin instruction, and to some degree motivating them, came a concern about lack of Latin proficiency among students. Latin had already lost its privileged role as the core subject of elementary instruction; and as education spread to the middle and lower classes, it tended to be dropped altogether.

Latin and the Classics were under pressure from the need for much broader, general education for the wider population. It was clearly not useful or appropriate for everyone to attain high levels of Latin or Greek. Nevertheless, as a requirement for University entry, it formed a barrier to access against people from less privileged backgrounds; this was even seen as good thing. In this way, education in Latin became increasingly associated with a kind of elitism, associated with the education of English "gentlemen" or the French [[bourgeoisie]], and forming a common bond of references within these social classes.<ref>{{harvnb|Waquet|2001|pp=207–229}}</ref>