Court's+Page

**Latin** was the language of the powerful and far reaching Roman Empire. Latin had such an impact that it was used almost exclusively in the region officially from 750 BC for two and a half thousand years after and is still present in some forms today. Latin's ability to unify the region was important and impressive. How did this language manage to land in Italy and how did it spread so far into the region? This subject of study is a foggy one, because its entrance and evolution are not well evidenced in the archaeological record. It is possible to make some observations and theories however, based on the available evidence.

 Difficulties in the Study of Latin History

The study of Latin is made difficult because of the available evidence of it and its various forms. For example, just as in the beginnings of most language, there is a significant portion of its history when it was not yet a written language. The earliest evidences are in the form of inscriptions. Eventually the language develops into a literary one and there were many popular authors and many literary items which have been recovered, however these still do not provide for a complete picture of the Latin language. One such reason is the difference between spoken and written Latin. Illiteracy rates must also be considered. The lives and dialects of illiterate peoples of the Empire were not recorded. These factors and more must be taken into account when learning about the history of Latin. Many theories exist and the archaeological evidence makes the precise study of Latin a most difficult one. Linguists must play a game of connect the dots, and it is unknown what the picture is supposed to look like. Still, from the evidence in existence, much can be determined about Latin.  Origins and Influences

Latin is said to have been originated by the Latini, a tribe who settled in the Latium area of Italy (see map) around 1000 BC. However there is almost a complete lack of texts before 300 BC, and so it should be understood the vast difficulty in making assumptions about the early history of the language. It is possible to gain some sort of understanding by use of the comparative method. Comparing Latin to other languages which shared this common region uncovers many similarities suggesting that there may be one common language of origin. This method is explained and explored by Palmer in his book "The Latin Language". Palmer calls this group the Indo-European people and describes the way in which different dialects of these migrating peoples evolved into the many differentiated IE languages. Latin is part of the subgroup of IE Languages named the Italic languages [Click here for an informational Italic language tree].
 * Indo-European
 * Italic
 * Latin

An example of the kind of comparative evidence leading to the idea that Latin is just one language which evolved from a common language in the are is the observance of similarities of morphology in the region. For example, it does not often happen that one language will borrow conjugations from another, and Latin and Osco-Umbrian share similar conjugations. Palmer describes what is observed from the comparison method of languages in the area as such:

"The simplest hypothesis which would account for the observed fact is to assume that at some time in the past there existed an 'Italic' community within which the common features we have observed in Latin and the Italic dialects were developed, the very considerable differences being the product of independent development after the break-up of the linguistic community" (10).

Latin in the Roman Empire

There are variations of Latin that were spoken in Ancient Rome. Which form of Latin was used depended on the context and status of the individual. Classical Latin is what largely survives in Roman writing and literature and developed as a highly stylized form. Vulgar Latin is different from Classical Latin in that it was spoken, not written. It was spoken by citizens that were illiterate, which gives reason for its exclusion in writing. What evidence does exist of Vulgar Latin style comes from inscriptions by those who might be considered semi-literate. Also, the contrast is evidenced in plays where "common" characters are portrayed and speak the Vulgar Latin style. describes the basis for the difference between spoken and written language, "as change lies in the nature of language, so conservatism lies in the nature of writing and spelling" (462). Where spoken or Vulgar Latin changed and evolved, written or Classical Latin remained relatively unchanged.

Evidence

Inscriptions are one way that Vulgar Latin can be experienced. Such inscriptions can be likened to graffiti of the present day.

As Latin developed into a literary language with influence and inspiration from Greek literary legacy, the written language became highly stylized and areas of poetry and play writing began with emphasis on the artistic creation of sentence and prose. Most evidence of this nature is considered Classical Latin in style. What the Greeks had done, the Latins used as a model and so even the evidence that we have is sometimes a reflection of Greek culture.

An example of this is the famous playwright Plautus. Plays can give us insight into the differences between spoken and written language, and also may include a wide variety of characters, each with different backgrounds and thus social status. Some of Plautus's plays have been used to witness Vulgar Latin. However it must be kept in mind that much of this was written as literary Latin was being formed. There was much pressure to be correct and write beautifully and this might influence how Plautus and others wrote the lines for commoners. Many of Plautus's plays were replicas of Greek plays which he changed to make them "his own". So, if these plays are used for evidence of spoken Latin, it must also be considered that the lines were much influenced by Greek culture again.

Cicero's letters are another possible example of Vulgar Latin. In these letters written to his good friend Atticus, Cicero uses a form of Latin that is more laid back than the formal, however, Cicero is still a literate upper class citizen, and so his spoken Latin probably did not deviate to any extreme.

The Spread of Latin

The spread of Latin parallels the spread of the Roman Empire. It invaded areas with their own local language and cultures. These non-Roman cultures had to learn the language in order to be a part of the Empire, and many of them may have already had experience with the language throught trade, especially given Rome's strong cultural influence in the surrounding areas.



The Road to Romance

With the wide spread of the Empire and the Language, Latin eventually branched off into new related languages. Local dialects became so pronounced that they were unintelligible by other "speakers of Latin". These splits were especially accelerated by the fall of the Roman Empire. These languages with roots in Latin are called Romance Languages and include modern languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and others. It must be understood that Classical Latin remained the same and it was Vulgar Latin, the spoken version, which was responsible for all the change which eventually formed these new languages.


 * __References:__**

= = Author(s): Ernst Pulgram Source: Language, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1950), pp. 458-466 Published by: [|Linguistic Society of America] Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/410397
 * Spoken and Written Latin**

= = Author(s): Nicholas Ostler Source: 2007 Published by: Walker & Company, New York
 * Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin**

Author(s): L.R. Palmer Source: 1954 Published by: Faber & Faber, London
 * The Latin Language**