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Continuous influence -

Many people refer to the Latin language as a  "dead language," but its influence remains prevalent today and continues to be an integral aspect of European culture.

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Indo-European language -

Latin is an Indo-European language that emerged around the 8th century BCE. Originating from Italy’s Latium region, today’s Lazio, its earliest form developed from the Italic languages.

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Neighboring languages -

Latin took a great deal of influence from neighboring languages, including Greek, Umbrian (central Italy), and Oscan (southern Italy).

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Romans -

Before it became the language of the powerful, it was a language of a relatively insignificant group, the Romans, who only lived on one settlement.

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Cato the Elder -

One of the oldest books written in Latin was by Cato the Elder, who wrote a book on homesteading, aptly titled ‘On Agriculture.’ But it wasn’t through writing that Latin spread.

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Colonization -

The way that Latin really began to spread more extensively is through land appropriation from military service. More or less, the ancient Romans were using strategies of early forms of European colonization.

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Distributing land -

As Rome conquered additional territories, they would seek Romans to settle on those lands. A way to do this was by distributing pieces of these newly acquired lands to Latin-speaking soldiers who completed military service.

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Pockets of Latin-speaking communities -

Soldiers would settle in these lands with their families, creating pockets of Latin-speaking communities in otherwise non-Latin speaking lands.

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Spread of language was organic -

By socializing with non-Romans during their settlement activities, where they were largely ruling trade activities in those areas, the spread of language occurred organically among non-Latin speaking communities.

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Land ownership -

As soldiers became landowners in areas that were conquered, living among each other, they formed a colony or a settlement. This classic form of imperialism provoked the death of many native languages.

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Agriculture and war -

It’s no coincidence that the legacy of the Roman Empire falls on two particular activities: agriculture and war. In other words, conquering land and subsequently cultivating it.

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Ancient Rome -

The language of ancient Rome, Latin was, therefore, used throughout the Roman Empire for civil life, as well as for cultural and academic pursuits.

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Classic works -

Classic Latin literature includes works by Cicero, Horace, and Livy, among many others. The works from this period remain key literature in Western education.

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Interaction with Greek culture -

The language really began to involve in its interaction with Greek. When the Romans arrived in Greece, they ‘imitated’ Greek culture, leading to its development as a classical language.

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Vulgar Latin -

In many ways, proper Latin was the language of the elite. Commoners and the enslaved spoke a more informal version of the language, frequently referred to as "Vulgar Latin."

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Romance languages -

The spread of the so-called vulgar version of Latin led to a number of dialects, which today we know as the basis for the Romance languages.

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Over 900 million people speak a Romance language -

The Romance languages consist of French, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, and its derivatives, such as Galician and Catalan, among others. Today, over 900 million people speak some derivative of these languages. This comprises nearly one-seventh of the total world population.

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Words with Latin roots -

But its influence is not just limited to the Romance languages. English, too, has Latin influence, as a number of words have Latin roots.

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Catholic Church -

In the 5th century, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the language lived on. Particularly through the Catholic Church, which retained a great deal of its use. Medieval scholars, including theologians, retained its use in the production of scholarship.

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More simplified version -

The use of Latin in the medieval period faced adaptations as well. By incorporating local languages, its variation made a break from its classical form to produce a more simple version of the language.

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Erasmus -

During the Renaissance period, scholars like Erasmus sought to revive Classical Latin, reiterating its use as a university standard. Once again, Latin became the language of the European elite.

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Enlightenment period -

Latin remained dominant until the Enlightenment period, when the emergence of German, French, and even English, began to be more frequently used in scholarship.

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Vatican City -

In modern times, Latin remains very much present. This is not only due to its firm presence in areas like medicine and law, but also, still, through the Catholic Church.

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No native Latin speakers -

Although today there are no native Latin speakers, as there is no area that speaks Latin as its first tongue, it remains the official language of Vatican City.

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Language that is still pursued -

Beyond the Church, there are a number of people who speak Latin. And not just linguists. It's a language that is still pursued, often for scholarship purposes.

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Not a dead language -

While there are many languages that have gone extinct, Latin, which is wrongly called a dead language, is still very much alive.

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Rich history -

The Latin language is planted in a rich history that has had a long-standing impact on world history, and, particularly, a massive role in shaping Western culture.

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Latin is still alive -

Understanding its beginnings, revivals, and integration into modern vocabulary and scientific terms helps us understand how, in many ways, not only is Latin still alive, but it remains relevant in our day-to-day lives.

Sources: (PoliLingua Translation Agency) (BBC) (Ancient Language Institute) (Centre of Excellence)

See also: Things people get wrong about ancient Rome

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