@farbenstau @davidrevoy So spells are actually language-agnostic, and the choice is up to the caster? One of those systems where the chanting only serves to help with structure, and can be skipped given skill? That wouldn't seem right, given what we've seen so far.
And if there's a super special magic language, it needs to be consistent.
@ariarhythmic Well, it's obviously @davidrevoy's world, so he gets to decide how much of this is a jab at a rival caste of mages, and how much of this is actually true, but I would say trying to cast spells in ancient Greek is like trying to create the Sistine Chapel with finger paint.
An inexperienced mage casting PyroCircus may end up with an oval or egg-shaped torus, or one with jagged edges. But with sufficient experience, a perfect circle can be achieved. Trying the corresponding spell in ancient Greek will always result in a "messier" form.