The Latin Language
In ancient Rome, the Latin language was commonly spoken. The Latin alphabet was based off of other alphabets, though. It was borrowed from the Greeks when it was in the process of developing. During the Golden Age of Literature, the Latin language was at its highest level of development. But since the early 1500's, Latin has not been a commonly spoken language.
Latin was vitally important in ancient Rome. Firstly, it gave all Romans a common language in which they could communicate effectively with each other and other people in the Roman Empire. A common language is one of the most significant traits of a successful civilization. In addition, Latin was used by famous writers for their literary works. These people included Marcus Tullius Cicero and Julius Caesar. When receiving an education, boys would learn Latin as one of their main subjects in school. Students would use a stylus to copy down lessons in Latin on wax-covered boards. It was important to learn Latin then, because public speaking was enforced at a higher education. So, a fluent understanding of the Latin language would be needed for this. Another use of Latin was on the 12 Tables. Since they were written in Latin, everyone could read them. Lastly, Medieval Latin was used in the Roman Catholic church.
Although the Romans had a common language, the uses of Latin differed between social classes. Wealth and gender also affected Romans. For example, the plebeians did not have as good of an understanding of Latin as the patricians did. Plebs were usually sent to work instead of getting an education like the pats. So instead of learning Latin, they learned leather and metalworking. Because they weren't sent to school to learn the language, it was much more difficult for them to read and speak fluently in Latin. On the other hand, the pats could use Latin whenever, since they were so fluent in it. Another factor that contributed to the uses of Latin was gender. For instance, rarely girls would get a very high education, even if they were wealthy. Because of this, girls did not have as much of a chance that the boys did to learn and apply Latin into their daily lives.
Lastly, the Romans' use of the Latin language has made an impact on the modern world. For example, many scientific and legal terms in the English language derive from Latin. A legal word, verdict, is one of these words. It derives from the Latin words vere, meaning truly, and the word dictum, meaning spoken. From this information, verdict means truly spoken. Another English word, gravity derives from the Latin word gravis, meaning heavy. As one may surely see, the Latin language has had numerous lasting influences on the world today.
Latin was vitally important in ancient Rome. Firstly, it gave all Romans a common language in which they could communicate effectively with each other and other people in the Roman Empire. A common language is one of the most significant traits of a successful civilization. In addition, Latin was used by famous writers for their literary works. These people included Marcus Tullius Cicero and Julius Caesar. When receiving an education, boys would learn Latin as one of their main subjects in school. Students would use a stylus to copy down lessons in Latin on wax-covered boards. It was important to learn Latin then, because public speaking was enforced at a higher education. So, a fluent understanding of the Latin language would be needed for this. Another use of Latin was on the 12 Tables. Since they were written in Latin, everyone could read them. Lastly, Medieval Latin was used in the Roman Catholic church.
Although the Romans had a common language, the uses of Latin differed between social classes. Wealth and gender also affected Romans. For example, the plebeians did not have as good of an understanding of Latin as the patricians did. Plebs were usually sent to work instead of getting an education like the pats. So instead of learning Latin, they learned leather and metalworking. Because they weren't sent to school to learn the language, it was much more difficult for them to read and speak fluently in Latin. On the other hand, the pats could use Latin whenever, since they were so fluent in it. Another factor that contributed to the uses of Latin was gender. For instance, rarely girls would get a very high education, even if they were wealthy. Because of this, girls did not have as much of a chance that the boys did to learn and apply Latin into their daily lives.
Lastly, the Romans' use of the Latin language has made an impact on the modern world. For example, many scientific and legal terms in the English language derive from Latin. A legal word, verdict, is one of these words. It derives from the Latin words vere, meaning truly, and the word dictum, meaning spoken. From this information, verdict means truly spoken. Another English word, gravity derives from the Latin word gravis, meaning heavy. As one may surely see, the Latin language has had numerous lasting influences on the world today.