Expertlatin
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.
- Why did Latin become a dead language?
- Why is Latin dead but Greek alive?
- Is Latin a completely dead language?
- Does anyone still speak Latin today?
Why did Latin become a dead 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.
Why is Latin dead but Greek alive?
Why is it that the former is long extinct, while the latter is still spoken? In point of fact, neither has died, but both have changed. That's normal, given that natural languages never remain constant very long. Over the centuries, Latin has acquired new names, whereas Greek hasn't.
Is Latin a completely dead language?
Latin is now considered a dead language, meaning it's still used in specific contexts, but does not have any native speakers. (Sanskrit is another dead language.) In historical terms, Latin didn't die so much as it changed -- into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian.
Does anyone still speak Latin today?
First, there are no native speakers of Latin. Latin, the language spoken in Ancient Rome, developed and changed over time until it turned into different languages, e.g., French, Italian, and Spanish.
