Adjacent Words

Latin definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LAT'IN, a. Pertaining to the Latins, a people of Latium, in Italy; Roman; as the Latin language.
Latin church, the western church; the christian church in Italy, France, Spain and other countries where the Latin language was introduced, as distinct from the Greek or eastern church.
LAT'IN, n.
1. The language of the ancient Romans.
2. An exercise in schools, consisting in turning English into Latin.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of or relating to the ancient Latins or the Latin language; "Latin verb conjugations"
2: relating to people or countries speaking Romance languages; "Latin America"
3: relating to languages derived from Latin; "Romance languages" [syn: Romance, Latin]
4: of or relating to the ancient region of Latium; "Latin towns" n
1: any dialect of the language of ancient Rome
2: an inhabitant of ancient Latium
3: a person who is a member of those peoples whose languages derived from Latin

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin Latinus, from Latium, ancient country of Italy Date: before 12th century 1. a. of, relating to, or composed in Latin b. romance 2. of or relating to Latium or the Latins 3. of or relating to the part of the Catholic Church that until recently used a Latin rite and forms the patriarchate of the pope 4. of or relating to the peoples or countries using Romance languages; specifically of or relating to the peoples or countries of Latin America II. noun Date: before 12th century 1. the Italic language of ancient Latium and of Rome and until modern times the dominant language of school, church, and state in western Europe — see Indo-European languages table 2. a member of the people of ancient Latium 3. a Catholic of the Latin rite 4. a member of one of the Latin peoples; specifically a native or inhabitant of Latin America 5. Latin alphabet

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 the Italic language of ancient Rome and its empire, originating in Latium. 2 Rom.Hist. an inhabitant of ancient Latium in Central Italy. --adj. 1 of or in Latin. 2 of the countries or peoples (e.g. France and Spain) using languages developed from Latin. 3 Rom.Hist. of or relating to ancient Latium or its inhabitants. 4 of the Roman Catholic Church. Phrases and idioms: Latin America the parts of Central and S. America where Spanish or Portuguese is the main language. Latin American n. a native of Latin America. --adj. of or relating to Latin America. Latin Church the Western Church. Derivatives: Latinism n. Latinist n. Etymology: ME f. OF Latin or L Latinus f. Latium

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Latin Lat"in, a. [F., fr. L. Latinus belonging to Latium, Latin, fr. Latium a country of Italy, in which Rome was situated. Cf. Ladin, Lateen sail, under Lateen.] 1. Of or pertaining to Latium, or to the Latins, a people of Latium; Roman; as, the Latin language. 2. Of, pertaining to, or composed in, the language used by the Romans or Latins; as, a Latin grammar; a Latin composition or idiom. Latin Church (Eccl. Hist.), the Western or Roman Catholic Church, as distinct from the Greek or Eastern Church. Latin cross. See Illust. 1 of Cross. Latin races, a designation sometimes loosely given to certain nations, esp. the French, Spanish, and Italians, who speak languages principally derived from Latin. Latin Union, an association of states, originally comprising France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, which, in 1865, entered into a monetary agreement, providing for an identity in the weight and fineness of the gold and silver coins of those countries, and for the amounts of each kind of coinage by each. Greece, Servia, Roumania, and Spain subsequently joined the Union.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Latin Lat"in, v. t. To write or speak in Latin; to turn or render into Latin. [Obs.] --Fuller.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Latin Lat"in, n. 1. A native or inhabitant of Latium; a Roman. 2. The language of the ancient Romans. 3. An exercise in schools, consisting in turning English into Latin. [Obs.] --Ascham. 4. (Eccl.) A member of the Roman Catholic Church. Dog Latin, barbarous Latin; a jargon in imitation of Latin; as, the log Latin of schoolboys. Late Latin, Low Latin, terms used indifferently to designate the latest stages of the Latin language; low Latin (and, perhaps, late Latin also), including the barbarous coinages from the French, German, and other languages into a Latin form made after the Latin had become a dead language for the people. Law Latin, that kind of late, or low, Latin, used in statutes and legal instruments; -- often barbarous.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(Latins) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Latin is the language which the ancient Romans used to speak. N-UNCOUNT 2. Latin countries are countries where Spanish, or perhaps Portuguese, Italian, or French, is spoken. You can also use Latin to refer to things and people that come from these countries. Cuba was one of the least Catholic of the Latin countries... The enthusiasm for Latin music is worldwide. ADJ: usu ADJ n 3. Latins are people who come from countries where Spanish, or perhaps Portuguese, Italian, or French, are spoken or whose families come from one of these countries. They are role models for thousands of young Latins. N-COUNT: usu pl

Easton's Bible Dictionary

the vernacular language of the ancient Romans (John 19:20).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

lat'-in: Was the official language of the Roman Empire as Greek was that of commerce. In Palestine Aramaic was the vernacular in the rural districts and remoter towns, while in the leading towns both Greek and Aramaic were spoken. These facts furnish the explanation of the use of all three tongues in the inscription on the cross of Christ (Mt 27:37; Mr 15:26; Lu 23:38; Joh 19:19). Thus the charge was written in the legal language, and was technically regular as well as recognizable by all classes of the people. The term "Latin" occurs in the New Testament only in Joh 19:20, Rhomaisti, and in Lu 23:38, Rhomaikois (grammasin), according to Codices Sinaiticus, A, D, and N. It is probable that Tertullus made his plea against Paul before Felix (Ac 24) in Latin, though Greek was allowed in such provincial courts by grace of the judge. It is probable also that Paul knew and spoke Latin; compare W.M. Ramsay, Pauline and Other Studies, 1906, 65, and A. Souter, "Did Paul Speak Latin?" The Expositor, April, 1911. The vernacular Latin had its own history and development with great influence on the ecclesiastical terminology of the West. See W. Bury, "The Holy Latin Tongue," Dublin Review, April, 1906, and Ronsch, Itala und Vulgata, 1874, 480 f. There is no doubt of the mutual influence of Greek and Latin on each other in the later centuries. See W. Schulze, Graeca Latina, 1891; Viereck, Sermo Graecus, 1888.

It is doubtful if the Latin syntax is clearly perceptible in the koine (see LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT).

Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, 117 f) finds ergasian didomi (operam dare) in an xyrhynchus papyrus letter of the vulgar type from 2nd century BC (compare Lu 12:58). A lead tablet in Amorgus has krino to dikaion (compare Lu 12:57). The papyri (2nd century AD) give sunairo logon (compare Mt 18:23 f). Moulton (Expositor, February, 1903, 115) shows that to hikanon poiein (satisfacere), is as old as Polybius. Even sumbouilion lambanien (concilium capere), may go with the rest like su opes (Mt 27:4), for videris (Thayer). Moulton (Prol., 21) and Thumb (Griechische Sprache, 121) consider the whole matter of syntactical Latinisms in the New Testament inconclusive. But see also C. Wessely, "Die lateinischen Elemente in der Gracitat d. agypt. Papyrusurkunden," Wien. Stud., 24; Laforcade. Influence du Latin sur le Grec. 83-158.

There are Latin words in the New Testament: In particular Latin proper names like Aquila, Cornelius, Claudia, Clemens, Crescens, Crispus, Fortunatus, Julia, Junia, etc., even among the Christians in the New Testament besides Agrippa, Augustus, Caesar, Claudius, Felix, Festus, Gallio, Julius, etc.

Besides we find in the New Testament current Latin commercial, financial, and official terms like assarion (as), denarion (denarius), kenturion (centurio), kenos (census), kodrantes (quadrans), kolonia (colonia), koustodia (custodia), legeon (legio), lention (linteum), libertinos (libertinus), litra (litra), makellon (macellum), membrana (membrana), milion (mille), modios (modius), xestes (sextarius), praitorion (praetorium), sikarios (sicarius), simikinthion (semicinctium), soudarion (sudarium), spekoulator (speculator), taberna (taberna), titlos (titulus), phelones (paenula), phoron (forum), phragellion (flagellum), phragelloo (flagello), chartes (charta?), choros (chorus).

Then we meet such adjectives as Herodianoi, Philippesioi, Christianoi, which are made after the Latin model. Mark's Gospel shows more of these Latin words outside of proper names (compare Ro 16), as is natural if his Gospel were indeed written in Rome.

See also LATIN VERSION, THE OLD.

LITERATURE.

Besides the literature already mentioned see Schurer, Jewish People in the Time of Christ, Div II, volume I, 43 ff; Krauss, Griechische und lateinische Lehnworter im Talmud (1898, 1899); Hoole, Classical Element in the New Testament (1888); Jannaris, Historical Greek Grammar (1897); W. Schmid, Atticismus, etc. (1887-97); Kapp, Latinismis merito ac falso susceptis (1726); Georgi, De Latinismis N T (1733); Draeger, Historische Syntax der lat. Sprache (1878-81); Pfister, Vulgarlatein und Vulgargriechisch (Rh. Mus., 1912, 195-208).

A. T. Robertson

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. Of the Latins, of ancient Rome, Roman. II. n. Language of ancient Rome, Latin language.