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Latin

Latin

8.9
The language spoken in ancient Rome used for books and government
  • noun
  • /ˈlætɪn/
translation icon : latín
  • It was a poem written in Latin and modeled on Virgil.

He actually coined a new term in Latin, Vela, means to will.

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Examples

  • And the word radical comes from the Latin word radix means root.

  • The school's motto is in Latin, Veritas, Truth.

  • Spirit actually comes from a Latin word that means breathe.

  • OK, so equinox is from the Latin for equal night.

  • These things are called nebulae, which is just Latin for cloud, right?

  • The school's motto is in Latin Veritas Truth.

  • The word nano comes from the Latin nanos, meaning dwarf.

  • The phrase 'cogito, ergo sum' is derived from a famous Latin expression that means 'I think, therefore I am.'

  • Many scientific names are based on Latin, reflecting the language's historical influence on taxonomy.

  • Students often learn Latin to understand the roots of many English words and enhance their vocabulary.

Synonyms

Classical Latin
vsLatin
1 9.8

The form of Latin used by educated people in ancient Rome, especially in literature and formal writing

covers all dialects including that literary form

Compounds

A person who comes from Latin America

10 2.2

Countries in the Americas south of the United States where people mainly speak Spanish or Portuguese

A form of Latin used in Europe for writing, study and church work in the Middle Ages

The form of Latin used by educated people in ancient Rome, especially in literature and formal writing

A historic area in Paris known for cafes, bookshops, and student life

A set of letters used to write English and many other languages

New Latin
  • Formal
1 8.5

A form of Latin used since the Renaissance for science, study, and naming plants and animals

Biblical Latin
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of Latin used in Christian writings and Bible translations from the 3rd to 8th centuries

A United Nations group that helps Latin American countries grow their economies

9.9

An old form of Latin used in pharmacy for medical prescriptions

Language full of long hard words used to seem clever

Late Latin
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of Latin used from the 3rd to the 8th century that links Classical and Medieval Latin

Latin square
  • Specialized
9.1

A square grid filled with different symbols so each symbol appears once in each row and column

A cross with a long upright arm and short horizontal arms used as a Christian symbol

Low Latin
  • Specialized
9.9

Forms of Latin used after the ancient period, especially in the Middle Ages

Neo-Latin language
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of Latin used since the Renaissance for scientific and academic writing

Neo-Latin
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of Latin used for scientific names and scholarly writing

9.9

A made-up language based on Latin created in 1890 for use between people of different countries

9.9

The earliest written form of Latin used from the sixth to the third century BC

9.9

A joking name for someone with little formal education, especially in Latin

Vulgar Latin
  • Specialized
9.9

The everyday speech of ordinary people in the Roman Empire that became Spanish, French and Italian

Surface Forms

Latin singular
Latins plural

Morphology

Latin = Latium (opaque) = Latium + in

The name for the classical language is historically formed from the place-name and a suffix, but this is not a productive or transparent derivation for most learners.

Etymology

Latin takes its name from Latinus, meaning 'from Latium', and it was the language the Romans used in ancient Rome. That is why many English words come from Latin and why students still learn the classical language today.