Latin

(lat'in.) [From Latium.] (Geog.) Relating or pertaining to the Latins, or people of ancient Latium, Italy; hence, by implication, Roman; and, substantively, a native or inhabitant of a country originally peopled or colonized by the ancient Romans. Also, philologically, the language spoken by the old Romans, which is a prominent member of the family of languages known as the Aryan or Indo-European. There seem to have been two distinct dialects, one the language of good society and books, the other that of the common people. The former reached its highest state of perfection in the writings of Virgil, Cicero, Horace, and others. In the course of time the original dialects of the Roman provinces became intermixed with the L., whence we have the modern French, Spanish, and Italian. A knowledge of L. is e ential to a thorough comprehension of our own language, from the great number of words derived from the L. or Latinized tongues. Until comparatively recent times, L. was the language of diplomacy in Europe, and it still is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church. [s. 530]