To what extent there was a difference between written and spoken Latin?

1. Is Latin a spoken or written language?
2. Why is Latin not a spoken language?
3. When did Latin stop being spoken?
4. Was Classical Latin ever spoken?

Is Latin a spoken or written language?

Latin can be spoken and is spoken today, but this does not mean that it is used in the same manner as modern languages such as English or Spanish. Today, speaking Latin is mainly a tool for learning and teaching Latin.

Why is Latin not a spoken language?

Latin essentially “died out” with the fall of the Roman Empire, but in reality, it transformed — first into a simplified version of itself called Vulgar Latin, and then gradually into the Romance languages: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian. Thus, Classical Latin fell out of use.

When did Latin stop being spoken?

Historians have since stated that Latin really became a dead language around 600-750AD. This is in line with the diminishing Roman Empire where few people could actually read, and the Italian, French and Spanish spoken language was rapidly evolving.

Was Classical Latin ever spoken?

According to Wikipedia's article on Classical Latin , and the references that it cites, Classical Latin was almost certainly spoken in a form close to its written form, though probably as the learned speech of an educated elite more than as the naturally-acquired vernacular of any social class.