The Origins of Latin

Latin is named after an Italic tribe that settled in the Latium region around the 10th century BCE. It is unknown how it came to be the main language of Rome, but it is because it was the language of the Roman Empire that its use has become so widespread throughout history.

Latin belongs to the Italic branch of the Proto-Indo-European language family. The Proto-Indo-European language family is the biggest language family we know of, and also the language family which we have been able to track the furthest back in history. It includes English, as well as languages from Europe, the Middle East, and India, such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Persian, Russian, German, Swedish, Greek, and Irish Gaelic. 

Classical Latin

Classical Latin is the form of Latin used in most of the ancient literature we have today. It was the refined language of the upper classes. It is divided into roughly two periods, the Golden Age, from 75 BCE to 14 CE, and the Silver Age, from the two centuries following. It was during the Silver Age that Latin became the official language for magical use, and so incantations are based on Classical Latin pronunciation and grammar.

Vulgar Latin

Vulgar Latin was the variety of Latin spoken by everyday people, unlike Classical Latin, which was spoken only by the upper classes. Vulgar Latin was not one form of Latin, but varied region by region.

The Fall of the Roman Empire and the "Death" of Latin

How come no one speaks Latin anymore? People say that Latin is a dead language, but it didn't so much die as just become something else. When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, and as all the different regions under Roman rule became less united, people in different regions began to speak differently. At first the differences would have been minor, such as the difference between the way you speak compared to your grandparents, and then like the differences between the varieties of English spoken in different countries around the world. But, over time, as the different regions became more independent from each other and developed customs and literatures of their own, each region's language continued to evolve and become more and more distinct. The modern forms of these languages that started as Latin are called the Romance languages (named after Rome) and include French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and more. 

Latin as the Language of Government, the Church, and the Educated Elite

For many centuries after Latin ceased being spoken in the home by everyday people, it was still used in many ways throughout Europe. Latin was used as a literary and administrative language throughout the Middle Ages. When the first universities were founded in the Middle Ages, they attracted students from all over Europe. As such, classes and even social life was conducted in Latin as the language the students had in common. This is why the neighbourhood in Paris around the Université Sorbonne, the second oldest university in the world, is called the Latin Quarter. The first magical schools also taught in Latin. Latin was the language of liturgy in the Catholic Church until the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and the Bible was read predominantly in Latin until the Protestant Reformation popularized translations into vernacular languages in the 1500s. Latin was also used as a status-marker throughout history. Dropping a Latin word into conversation was a way of indicating that you were well educated and rich.

Latin and English

People often incorrectly believe that English is from Latin, but that is not true at all. Although English has had a lot of influence from Latin, they are only very distantly related, as they are both within the Proto-Indo-European language family. English is in the Germanic branch of Proto-Indo-European, while Latin is in the Italic branch. However, English has been influenced by Latin in many different ways over many different centuries. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Latin has been used as the language of government, of the church, and of education for centuries, in England as well as the rest of Europe. Another major influence Latin had on English was through French, when the Norman Franks conquered England in 1066. Because of these influences, English has many borrowed words and phrases from Latin, but our grammar is largely distinct.

Latin Today

Although there are no longer any native speakers of Latin today and people do not use Latin in the home with their families, Latin is still used in many ways, and not only in magical incantations. Latin is still the official language of the Holy See, the jurisdiction of the Vatican. People all over the world study Latin as adults so that they can read historical religious and philosophical texts. Many scientific terms are also of Latin origin.