What language did the ancient Romans speak?
Quick answer
The ancient Romans spoke Latin, the main language of ancient Rome and its empire. Latin later developed into the Romance languages: Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian. In the eastern part of the Roman Empire, Greek was also widely spoken, especially in trade and culture.
Classical vs everyday Latin
| Classical Latin | Vulgar Latin | |
|---|---|---|
| Used by | Writers, lawyers, speeches | Ordinary people, soldiers, traders |
| Examples | Cicero, Virgil, Julius Caesar | Graffiti in Pompeii |
| Became | The model for later scholarly Latin | The Romance languages |
“Vulgar” here means “of the common people” (vulgus), not rude.
Languages that grew from Latin
| Language | Example: “water” |
|---|---|
| Latin | aqua |
| Italian | acqua |
| Spanish | agua |
| Portuguese | água |
| French | eau |
| Romanian | apă |
Is Latin a dead language?
Latin has no native speakers today, so linguists call it “dead,” but it’s still very much in use:
- It’s an official language of Vatican City; see the smallest country in the world.
- Scientists use it to name species, such as Homo sapiens.
- Law and medicine use many Latin terms.
- Many schools still teach it.
Latin in English
Although English is a Germanic language, a large share of its vocabulary comes from Latin, directly or through French:
| Latin phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| et cetera (etc.) | And the rest |
| per capita | Per person |
| ad hoc | For this purpose |
| bona fide | In good faith, genuine |
| versus (vs.) | Against |
| carpe diem | Seize the day |
Even the element symbol for gold, Au, comes from Latin; see why gold’s symbol is Au. A famous Latin proverb is explained in who said “Fortune favors the bold”.
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