Latin

lat′in, adj. pertaining to ancient Latium (esp. Rome) or its inhabitants, also to all races claiming affinity with the Latins by language, race, or civilisation: written or spoken in Latin.— n. an inhabitant of ancient Latium: a member of a modern race ethnically or linguistically related to the ancient Romans or Italians: the language of ancient Rome—the foundation of the modern Romance tongues: a member of the Latin or Roman Catholic Church.— adj. Lā′tian .— n. Lat′iner , one who knows Latin: ( obs. ) an interpreter.— v.t. Lat′inīse , to give Latin forms to: to render into Latin.— ns. Lat′inism , a Latin idiom; Lat′inist , one skilled in Latin; Latin′ity , the Latin tongue, style, or idiom.— Latin Church , the Western Church as distinguished from the Greek or Oriental Church, so named as having employed Latin as its official language: the Roman Catholic Church; Latin Empire , that portion of the Byzantine Empire seized in 1204 by the Crusaders, and overthrown by the Greeks in 1261; Latin kingdom , the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem ruled by French or Latin kings, and lasting from 1099 to 1187.— Cla ical Latin , the Latin of the writers who flourished from about 75 B.C. to 200 A.D. ; Dog Latin , barbarous Latin; Late Latin , the Latin written by authors between 200 and ( circ. ) 600 A.D. ; Middle , Medieval , or Low Latin , the Latin of the middle age between 600 and 1500 A.D. ; New , Modern , Latin , Latin as written between 1500 and the present time, mostly used as a scientific medium; Thieves' Latin , thieves' cant. [L. Latin us , belonging to Latium , the district round Rome.]