Latin

Latin, lat′in, adj. pertaining to ancient Latium (esp. Rome) or its inhabitants, also to all races claiming affinity with the Latins by language, race, or civilisation: written or spoken in Latin.—n. an inhabitant of ancient Latium: a member of a modern race ethnically or linguistically related to the ancient Romans or Italians: the language of ancient Rome—the foundation of the modern Romance tongues: a member of the Latin or Roman Catholic Church.—adj. Lā′tian.—n. Lat′iner, one who knows Latin: (obs.) an interpreter.—v.t. Lat′inīse, to give Latin forms to: to render into Latin.—ns. Lat′inism, a Latin idiom; Lat′inist, one skilled in Latin; Latin′ity, the Latin tongue, style, or idiom.—Latin Church, the Western Church as distinguished from the Greek or Oriental Church, so named as having employed Latin as its official language: the Roman Catholic Church; Latin Empire, that portion of the Byzantine Empire seized in 1204 by the Crusaders, and overthrown by the Greeks in 1261; Latin kingdom, the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem ruled by French or Latin kings, and lasting from 1099 to 1187.—Classical Latin, the Latin of the writers who flourished from about 75 B.C. to 200 A.D.; Dog Latin, barbarous Latin; Late Latin, the Latin written by authors between 200 and (circ.) 600 A.D.; Middle, Medieval, or Low Latin, the Latin of the middle age between 600 and 1500 A.D.; New, Modern, Latin, Latin as written between 1500 and the present time, mostly used as a scientific medium; Thieves' Latin, thieves' cant. [L. Latinus, belonging to Latium, the district round Rome.]