---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The classical scholars have kept alive…"
description: "\"The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of the superiority of the ancient languages -- a kaleidoscopic mass of suffixes and prefixes, supp..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg"
---

#  The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of…

![“The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of the superiority of the ancient languages -- a kaleidoscopic mass of suffixes and prefixes, supposed to represent an infinite shading of meaning. It is a character they share with the Ojibway and the Zulu.” quote by Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg)

> “The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of the superiority of the ancient languages -- a kaleidoscopic mass of suffixes and prefixes, supposed to represent an infinite shading of meaning. It is a character they share with the Ojibway and the Zulu.”

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Scholars cling to ancient language complexity, believing it yields endless nuance, similar to some indigenous languages.

**In simple terms:** Complex old languages are prized for depth.

Key Takeaway

Recognize value in linguistic diversity.

Themes

language culture complexity

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

academic critical

When to use this quote

- academic study
- language preservation
- cross‑cultural communication
- education

Key Concepts

linguistics anthropology semantic richness

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we value linguistic intricacy?
- How can we balance depth and clarity?

A Different Perspective

Complexity may hinder accessibility for newcomers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Scholar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholar/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/)

## Related quotes

> [The day is past when schools could afford to give sufficient time and attention to the teaching of the ancient languages to enable the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-loeb/the-day-is-past-when-schools-could-afford-to-give-sufficient-time-and/)

[James Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-loeb/)

> [“There is no better recreation for the mind than the study of the ancient classics. Take any one of them into your hand, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/there-is-no-better-recreation-for-the-mind-than-the-study-of-the/)

[Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/)

> [The surest method of being incomprehensible or, moreover, to be misunderstood is to use words in their original sense; especially words from the ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-surest-method-of-being-incomprehensible-or-moreover-to-be/)

[Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/)

> [The knowledge of the ancient languages is mainly a luxury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bright/the-knowledge-of-the-ancient-languages-is-mainly-a-luxury/)

[John Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bright/)

> [I do not read the ancient languages, but I am beginning to study Greek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-do-not-read-the-ancient-languages-but-i-am-beginning-to-study-greek/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [“It may be worth while to illustrate this view of classification, by taking the case of languages. If we possessed a perfect pedigree of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/it-may-be-worth-while-to-illustrate-this-view-of-classification-by/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

> [Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/great-ambition-the-desire-of-real-superiority-of-leading-and/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [Our knowledge and understanding of nonhuman animals is polluted far more than we acknowledge by our belief in our own superiority, our unrecognized cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-tuttle/our-knowledge-and-understanding-of-nonhuman-animals-is-polluted-far/)

[Will Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-tuttle/)

> [I consider the differences between man and animals in propensities, feelings, and intellectual faculties, to be the result of the same cause as that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-william-lawrence-1st-baronet/i-consider-the-differences-between-man-and-animals-in-propensities/)

Sir William Lawrence, 1st Baronet

> [Being six feet off the ground does give one a sense of superiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/being-six-feet-off-the-ground-does-give-one-a-sense-of-superiority/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [There never will be a trust in excellence or a combination in superiority. As long as you can do a thing a little better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-never-will-be-a-trust-in-excellence-or-a-combination-in/)

[Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/)

> [“Love and respect a woman. Look to her not only for comfort, but for strength and inspiration and the doubling of your intellectual and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-mazzini/love-and-respect-a-woman-look-to-her-not-only-for-comfort-but-for/)

[Giuseppe Mazzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-mazzini/)

> [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/)

[Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/)

> [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/)

[Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/)

## More by Stephen Leacock

> [My parents migrated to Canada in 1876, and I decided to go with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/my-parents-migrated-to-canada-in-1876-and-i-decided-to-go-with-them/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [You frequently ask, where are the friends of your childhood, and urge that they shall be brought back to you. As far as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/you-frequently-ask-where-are-the-friends-of-your-childhood-and-urge/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [The parent who could see his boy as he really is, would shake his head and say: 'Willie is no good; I'll sell him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-parent-who-could-see-his-boy-as-he-really-is-would-shake-his-head/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [It's called political economy because it is has nothing to do with either politics or economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/it-s-called-political-economy-because-it-is-has-nothing-to-do-with/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [How can you shorten the subject? That stern struggle with the multiplication table, for many people not yet ended in victory, how can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/how-can-you-shorten-the-subject-that-stern-struggle-with-the/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [A silk dress in four sections, and shoes with high heels that would have broken the heart of John Calvin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/a-silk-dress-in-four-sections-and-shoes-with-high-heels-that-would/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [Humor may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic expression thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/humor-may-be-defined-as-the-kindly-contemplation-of-the-incongruities/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [Chess is one long regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/chess-is-one-long-regret/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [A lone maple leaf resting on sand Have you ever been out for a late autumn walk in the closing part of the afternoon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/a-lone-maple-leaf-resting-on-sand-have-you-ever-been-out-for-a-late/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [In ancient times they had no statistics so they had to fall back on lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/in-ancient-times-they-had-no-statistics-so-they-had-to-fall-back-on/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [“Suppose a would-be writer can't begin? I really believe there are many excellent writers who have never written because they never could begin. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/suppose-a-would-be-writer-can-t-begin-i-really-believe-there-are-many/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [We think of the noble object for which the professor appears tonight, we may be assured that the Lord will forgive any one who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/we-think-of-the-noble-object-for-which-the-professor-appears-tonight/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/many-a-man-in-love-with-a-dimple-makes-the-mistake-of-marrying-the/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [The writing of solid, instructive stuff fortified by facts and figures is easy enough. There is no trouble in writing a scientific treatise on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-writing-of-solid-instructive-stuff-fortified-by-facts-and-figures/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

> [Advertising: the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/advertising-the-science-of-arresting-the-human-intelligence-long/)

[Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

[Explore all 105 Stephen Leacock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/)

## More Alive quotes

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/)

[Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/)

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/)

[James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/)

> [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/)

[Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/)

> [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/)

[Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/)

> [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/)

[Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/)

> [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/)

[John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/)

> [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/)

[William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/)

[Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of the superiority of the ancient languages -- a kaleidoscopic mass of suffixes and prefixes, supposed to represent an infinite shading of meaning. It is a character they share with the Ojibway and the Zulu.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Leacock"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-the-tradition-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alive"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-the-tradition-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/stephen-leacock-4891_alive_the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-t_1989657.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The classical scholars have kept alive the tradition of the superiority of the ancient languages -- a…” — Stephen Leacock",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Stephen Leacock",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The classical scholars have kept alive...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-the-tradition-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-classical-scholars-have-kept-alive-the-tradition-of-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
