Latin
|lat-in|
/ˈlætɪn/
of Latium; the language of Rome
Etymology
'Latin' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'Latinus', where 'Latinus' meant 'of Latium'.
'Latin' passed into Old French as 'latin' (from Latin 'Latinus'), then into Middle English as 'latin', eventually becoming the modern English word 'Latin'.
Initially it meant 'of Latium' (people or things from that region); over time it came to denote the language of Rome and, more broadly, matters related to ancient Rome and Romance-language cultures.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the classical language of ancient Rome and its empire; later used as the liturgical and scholarly language in Western Europe.
Latin was the language of scholarship in medieval Europe.
Noun 2
a person belonging to the ancient Italic tribe of Latium or, in historical contexts, an early inhabitant of Rome (often used in plural: 'the Latins').
The Latins inhabited the region around Rome before the city became dominant.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the Latin language, its literature, or to ancient Rome and its culture.
Latin literature includes works such as Virgil's Aeneid.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/31 12:51