"the term is normally used..."

I think he chose his example in the context of my question, which wasn't couched in terms of dead languages, and the fact that the term isn't heard widely in those terms but is probably transferred to other uses when used today, especially when bandied about on the Web of a Millions Lies (WoaML).

it does seem to transfer nicely to "works of a given (dead) author", and not so nicely to a living language (or writer) such as English. maybe we should think of the key word as "dead"?!