# Latin

Pronunciation: say "LAT-in" /ˈlæt.ɪn/

## Proper noun

1. The language of the ancient Romans and other peoples of Latium, also used by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in its classical form.
   - Simple: The language of ancient Rome, still used in parts of the Roman Catholic Church.
   - _Centuries of scholarship were written in Latin before the vernacular took over._
   - _The priest recited the prayers in Latin._
7. The alphabet or writing system used for ancient Roman and many modern languages.
   - Simple: The set of letters used to write English and many other languages.
   - _Serbian newspapers appear in both Cyrillic and Latin, and readers switch between them easily._
   - _Korean is normally written in Hangul rather than Latin._
14. Placeholder text, often based on real Latin, used to fill a layout before the final copy is added.
   - Simple: Fake placeholder words used to fill a design before the real text is ready.
   - _The designer filled the brochure with Latin until the copywriter delivered the text._
   - _Replace the Latin with the real headlines before sending it to print._

## Adjective

2. Relating to the peoples, countries or cultures whose languages come from Latin, especially those of Latin America.
   - Simple: Related to Latin America, or to other peoples and cultures whose languages come from Latin.
   - _The radio station plays Latin pop alongside traditional rhythms._
   - _She grew up surrounded by Latin cuisine and family traditions._
3. Relating to the Latin language, spoken in ancient times by the Romans and the other peoples of Latium.
   - Simple: Relating to the language spoken in ancient Rome.
   - _He translated the Latin inscription carved above the door._
   - _Latin verb forms can be hard for beginners to master._
6. Belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, or specifically to the Roman Rite within it.
   - Simple: Belonging to the Roman Catholic Church and its way of worship.
   - _The town has a Latin parish and a Byzantine parish, each with its own customs of worship._
   - _Latin and Eastern clergy met to discuss shared doctrine._
8. Relating to the script used for ancient Roman and many modern languages.
   - Simple: Relating to the letters used to write Roman and many modern languages.
   - _The letters were carved in neat Latin characters across the stone._
   - _Vietnamese is written in a Latin script with added diacritics._
10. Belonging to the civilization of ancient Rome or the lands of its empire.
   - Simple: Having to do with ancient Rome and the lands it ruled.
   - _Under Roman rule, Latin civilization took deep root in Spain, shaping its towns, its laws, and in time its language._
   - _Latin civilization spread through the provinces along the roads the legions built._
13. Of or relating to Latium, the region around Rome now known as modern Lazio.
   - Simple: Relating to Latium, the area around Rome now called Lazio.
   - _Archaeologists mapped the old Latin settlements south of the Tiber._
   - _The Latin countryside supplied grain to the growing city._

## Noun

4. Music from Latin America; also, the category of ballroom competition that covers dances such as the samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, and jive.
   - Simple: Music from Latin America, or a group of dances like the samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, and jive done in dance contests.
   - _The club's DJ mixes Latin with house music until the early hours._
   - _The couple compete in both standard and Latin, but their rumba is what wins them titles._
5. A person from a country or people whose language comes from Latin, especially a Latin American.
   - Simple: Someone from Latin America, or from another country whose main language comes from Latin.
9. Someone who follows the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
   - Simple: Someone who follows Roman Catholic practice.
11. Someone who came from ancient Rome or one of the lands of its empire.
   - Simple: A person who lived in ancient Rome or its empire.
12. A member of an Italic tribe that included the early inhabitants of Rome and, from about 1000 BC, lived in the region of Old Latium.
   - Simple: A member of an ancient tribe that lived around Rome and founded the early city.
   - _Long before the republic, the Latins formed a loose league of settlements._
   - _Rome began as just one of many towns founded by the Latins, who shared a language and held common religious festivals._

## Origin

**Meanings 2–3, 6, 8, 10, 13** — From Middle English Latyn, from Old French latin, from Latin latīnus, formed from Latium (the region around Rome) plus the adjective suffix -īnus. It is a doublet of Ladin and Ladino.
**Meanings 1, 4–5, 7, 9, 11–12, 14** — From Middle English Latin, from Old English Latin and Old French latin, both going back to Latin Latinus (belonging to Latium). Compare Dutch Latijn, German Latein, and Swedish Latin.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/latin (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).