Official Language
Which Countries Spoke Latin?
Latin is a language that has been spoken for centuries, and still is used in some settings today. The Latin language is not a conversatorial language so to speak anymore, but its roots in the Roman Empire have resulted in it being one of the most widely used languages today. Today it is still found in everyday math language, in the law, and also in medicine. Many terms of the human body are Latin, as are many species in the Animal and Plant Kingdoms.
It is also considered a language of the Romance era, and was one of the most important languages of the time. This was during the Middle Ages when it was used for romantic purposes, in life and in art. It would then become a foundation in many scholarly languages and still is today.
What Countries Spoke Latin?
The Latin language is a very romantic language and is spoken by some of the most romantic countries in the world. That includes Spain, France, Romania, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, and Argentina. Those are the countries that spoke the language most often.
The language itself originated in these regions, along the Mediterranean coasts, long before the Middle Ages and in the first millennium B.C. It was a language first used by the aristocrats of the time, and the elite. That is how it became the same thing in the West today.
Today, Latin is used so that people can improve their own fluency in their own native tongue, while also undertaking a solid grasp on literature. It is still widely used in the Vatican City on documents, in many rituals and ceremonies, prayer, and between scholars that don’t share a common language.
Why is Latin not used today?
Latin is used today more than people think. It is the root of many familiar languages making them among the most beautiful languages in the world. Those are the languages of the countries that originally used Latin as their language. As those nations developed, and the Romance era passed, the Latin language evolved into many different languages. Those languages today are Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese.
When those languages began to form, Latin on its own fell out of use. It is not unlike how the Greek language stems from the Hellenic branch, but yet still stands on its own. Latin still today stands on its own, and beautifully. It is still a language for scholars.
- Countries listed are those which have used Latin as an official language within the past 500 years. During the height of the Roman Empire (Approx 300 BC-450 AD), Latin was used more widely, thought often as a secondary language.
- Latin is no longer spoken regularly. It is used primarily in the scientific naming of organisms and for liturgical purposes by the Roman Catholic Church.
- However, many modern languages, including Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, Catalan, Romansh and other Romance languages, are direct descendants of Latin. There are also many Latin borrowings in English and Albanian, as well as a few in German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.
- Therefore, although use of Latin has faded, the many languages it evolved into are very much alive today.
Country | Latin as Official Language | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|
| Croatia | Official Language | Latin was the official language of Croatian Parliament (Sabor) from the 13th to the 19th century |
| Hungary | Official Language | From the 11th to the mid 19th century |
| Poland | Official Language | Officially recognised and widely used between the 10th and 18th centuries |
| Vatican City | Official Language | Vatican City is the only country in which Latin is still an official language and the only country t... |