![]() The invention of writing is a watershed moment in the history of any language. Materials like alphabets can take centuries to appear. Languages, as a rule, begin their lives orally. They begin by speaking and only later pick up writing. What is true of babies tends to be true of societies. Or maybe one of them is the mother tongue of the others? It is not yet possible to say with certainty. They might be siblings, sharing a common (and long-extinct) mother tongue. How these languages are related is unclear. However, because they are in the same language family, linguists refer to these three languages - Latin, Oscan, and Umbrian - as the Italic languages. The comparison is similar between Italian and Spanish. But they are not so similar that knowing how to interpret one means you can interpret the others. We do not know what language the founders of Rome spoke before Latin developed, but it bore a close resemblance to Oscan and Umbrian dialects.īy comparing ancient manuscripts of all three languages, it is evident that they share very similar vocabulary and grammar. The language spoken by Rome’s founders would have resembled languages spoken by neighboring peoples, from which it had been derived. ![]() By Iron_Age_Italy.png: User:Dbachmannderivative work: Ewan ar born – Iron_Age_Italy.png, CC BY-SA 3.0. You can still visit it today.Īpproximate boundaries of language groups on the Italian peninsula during the 6th century BC. ![]() The Forum Romanum was to be recognized as the heart of the city of Rome - and therefore of the Roman Empire - throughout antiquity. In fact, the site where this settlement was founded is believed to be the exact spot as the Forum Romanum (i.e., “the Roman Square”). Latin first appeared on Palatine Hill, as the distinct tongue of a small people group. While much of this story is likely fiction, most scholars agree with the date of Rome’s founding in the mid-8th century BC. Romulus lost his temper and murdered his sibling. Shortly after the two set out to found a city together, Remus mocked the walls his brother had built on Palatine Hill. In any event, their relationship was certainly war-like. Some accounts claim these siblings were the children of Mars, the god of war. According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. This is what happened over two millennia ago. To create a distinct language, all you have to do is form a small tribe and live without contact with other groups for a time. ![]() No one at the time would have guessed that, within a few centuries, everyone in the region would be speaking the tongue of the Romans. (Unlike the Romans, who lived on just one settlement, the Etruscans boasted many city-states.) The Etruscans to the north, in modern-day Tuscany, were much more numerous and powerful. Not only that, but they weren’t especially impressive. The Romans were just one group out of many in the Latium region. Further, more languages have died and disappeared than exist today. In fact, fewer languages are spoken today than in the ancient world. While millions today speak German or English, it was not uncommon back then for a language to be spoken by just a few thousand people. While they were related, each had its own ethnicity, religion, social organization, and - importantly - language. They slept in windowless huts, spoke their own language, worshipped their own gods, and enjoyed their own way of doing things - just like so many other groups to be found in Italy at the time. Far from it, the Romans were an insignificant people group with a population of a few thousand. The speakers of this language were called Romans, after their legendary founder, Romulus.Īt the time, Rome was not a powerful empire. The birth of Latin took place around 700 BC in a small settlement sloping up towards Palatine Hill. So, how old is Latin? To put it briefly - about 2,700 years old. This is the story of the first 500 years of Latin’s life. While students who learn Latin today appreciate its eloquence and beauty, Latin’s early form was rough and immature. You have probably heard someone call Latin a “ dead language.” There was a time, however, when Latin was very much alive and young.
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