Latin language was the principal language of western Europe for hundreds of years. It was the language of the Roman Empire, and Roman soldiers and traders took it wherever they went. Latin, because of its precise expression, was a perfect language for law and government. As used by the Roman poet Virgil and other literary masters, Latin achieved a dignity and tone rarely equaled by any other language. See Rome, Ancient .
Latin has not been a spoken language since the early 1500’s. However, many Latin words helped shape modern scientific and legal terms. For example, the word gravity comes from the Latin word gravis, meaning heavy. The word verdict comes from the Latin words vere, meaning truly, and dictum, meaning spoken. The Roman Catholic Church still considers Latin its official language, though Mass has been celebrated in the tongue of the local community since the mid-1960’s.
Alphabet.
The Latin alphabet was borrowed from the Greeks, probably through the Etruscans, an ancient people who lived in Italy. Classical Latin had 23 letters, lacking j, u, and w. The letter i was used for both i and j, and v was used for both v and u. Today, Latin texts use j ‘s and u ‘s where those sounds are appropriate. The Roman alphabet became the basis of most modern alphabets. See the World Book articles on Alphabet and on each letter of the English alphabet.
Grammar.
Latin is in the Indo-European family of languages and is closely related to Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Sanskrit, and Slavic languages. Like Greek, Latin is highly inflected—that is, changes in word endings indicate changes in meaning. For an example of a Latin noun’s inflections, see Case (Cases in Latin) .
Development.
Latin was one of several related languages of ancient Italy. Others, such as Oscan and Umbrian, died out as the influence of Latin spread.
In ancient times.
Examples of the earliest Latin, which is sometimes called preliterary Latin, were preserved in inscriptions and religious texts. During the 200’s and 100’s B.C., Latin became a highly developed language in written form. It reached its highest level of development in the Golden Age of Latin literature, from 106 B.C. to A.D. 14. Works of prose by Julius Caesar and Cicero, and the poetry of Virgil and Horace, set standards of excellence for future writers. See Latin literature (The Golden Age) .
A vernacular (common) form of Latin developed at the same time as literary Latin. It underwent many changes after the Golden Age. Inflections were simplified, and word order became more regular. The different forms of vernacular Latin appear in the comedies of Plautus, who lived about 200 B.C.; the letters of Cicero, who lived from 106 to 43 B.C.; and the Satyricon of Petronius, who died in A.D. 66.
The spread of Christianity, plus invasions by Germanic tribes, contributed to the fall of the West Roman Empire in the 300’s and 400’s. The Christians and the invaders changed Latin further by adding new words and meanings to the language.
During the Middle Ages,
the spoken Latin of the late Roman Empire developed into the Romance languages, including French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish (see Romance languages ). At this time, a form of literary Latin called Medieval Latin was the language of the Christian church and of education. It ranked as an international tongue and was used by scholars in universities and religious schools throughout western Europe. Latin continued to be used by scientists and philosophers into the 1600’s. Examples include Rene Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) and Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia mathematica (1687).
Latin today.
Latin has been taught in schools since the Middle Ages, though its popularity declined during the 1900’s. American college students of the 1700’s and 1800’s were required not only to read Latin fluently but also to write original essays and poems in Latin. During the 1900’s, most colleges and universities in the United States relaxed or eliminated these requirements. However, many universities in the United Kingdom and other European countries still require Latin.
Many educators believe the study of Latin trains a student to think precisely and to understand grammatical relationships. Students of Latin can derive the meanings of difficult English words based on their knowledge of Latin roots. They also learn to appreciate the ancient Roman civilization as a source of modern culture. In addition, a knowledge of Latin aids students in learning modern languages, especially the Romance languages.
Latin and English.
Scholars estimate that about half of all English words in current use are of Latin origin. Some of these words were borrowed directly from Latin. But most were borrowed from Old French, and thus reflect forms and meanings that Latin words had acquired in that language. For example, the English words loyal and legal both come from the Latin legalis, meaning legal. But loyal was borrowed from Old French, where its meaning was similar to its meaning in English today.
The vast majority of English abstract words are Latin in origin. When we speak of the “power of liberty,” the “spirit of independence,” or the “virtue of charity,” the two important words in each phrase are derived from Latin. Many English scientific terms come from Latin. The title of every rank in the army, from private to general, has a Latin origin. Some common Latin idioms remain unchanged in English, including such phrases as persona non grata, ad infinitum, and P.S. (post scriptum). The richness and variety of the English language owe much to the contributions of Latin.
