Why Is There a Latin Word for ‘Helicopter’?
Latin stopped being anyone’s native language over a thousand years ago, yet somewhere in a Vatican dictionary is a word for “helicopter” — helicopterum. At first glance, this seems like an anachronism. Helicopters weren’t even invented until the 20th century, many centuries after Latin fell out of regular use. So
how did a language associated with togas and gladiators end up with a term for a modern rotor-powered aircraft? The answer lies in one of the more unusual side projects of the Catholic Church: the ongoing effort to keep Latin functioning as a living language. It’s been centuries since any...
