Expertlatin
- Why is Vulgar Latin called Vulgar Latin?
- How do we know Latin pronunciation?
- What is the definition of Vulgar Latin?
- Why is Vulgar Latin important?
Why is Vulgar Latin called Vulgar Latin?
The name "vulgar" simply means "common"; it is derived from the Latin word vulgaris, meaning "common", or "of the people". "Vulgar Latin" to Latinists has a variety of meanings. It means variation within Latin (socially, geographically, and chronologically) that differs from the perceived Classical literary standard.
How do we know Latin pronunciation?
Knowledge of how Latin was pronounced comes from Roman grammar books, common misspellings by Romans, transcriptions into other ancient languages, and from how pronunciation has evolved in derived Romance languages.
What is the definition of Vulgar Latin?
noun. : the nonclassical Latin of ancient Rome including the speech of plebeians and the informal speech of the educated established by comparative evidence as the chief source of the Romance languages.
Why is Vulgar Latin important?
Vulgar Latin gives us insight both into what it is not, i.e. Classical Latin, and into what it would become, the Romance languages of today: Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian and more. It also paints a picture of other denizens of Rome and its empire than we normally meet in classical literature.
