| > | | | | of Classical Latin. The spoken language of the |
| The rise of Latin is connected with the rise of the | | | | Western Roman Empire was Vulgar Latin, which |
| Roman Republic and later with the Roman Empire. | | | | differs from Classical Latin in grammar, vocabulary, |
| The decline and fall of the Roman Empire did not | | | | and pronunciation. |
| however end its influence. | | | | Latin remained the legal language of the Roman |
| The rise of the Latin language is linked to the rise of | | | | Empire but the Greek language became the dominant |
| the Roman Empire. The decline and eventual fall of | | | | language in the eastern reaches of the Empire |
| the Roman Empire did not however end its influence. | | | | particularly with the rise of the Byzantine Empire |
| Roman conquest brought the Latin language to much | | | | after the final split of the Roman Empires in 395 C.E. |
| of present day Europe as well as the farthest | | | | With the survival and at times flourishing of the |
| reaches of the Empire and its seeds eventually gave | | | | Byzantine Empire, Greek supplanted Latin as the legal |
| birth to the languages spoken in present day regions | | | | language and its long status as lingua franca of most |
| of France, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Portugal. These | | | | Eastern citizens was recognized. It remained the de |
| languages include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, | | | | facto language of both education in Europe until the |
| Romanian, Catalan, and Romansh among various | | | | 17th century. |
| other minor languages. | | | | By the 17th century, a noticeable decline in Latin |
| The expansion of the Roman Empire spread Latin | | | | became clear. Vulgar Latin nevertheless was |
| throughout Europe, and, eventually, Latin dialects | | | | preserved in various regional dialects. |
| emerged based on the location of its speakers. | | | | Latin survives in the Catholic Church which recently |
| Vulgar Latin gradually evolved into a number of | | | | authorized the return of the Latin Mass. Latin |
| distinct Romance languages by the 9th century CE. | | | | vocabulary is also present in science and law and |
| The fall of the Western Roman Empire did not bring | | | | continues to be taught in many primary, grammar, |
| about the end of Latin however. This was due in part | | | | and secondary schools. |
| to the almost simultaneous rise of the Christianity via | | | | One area of interest that differentiates Latin and its |
| the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church maintained | | | | Romance descendants is that Romance languages |
| Latin as the language of liturgy and Scripture by | | | | with the exception of Romanian, no longer maintain |
| extension established it as the lingua franca of | | | | their case endings in most words, except for some |
| educated echelons of society in the West. | | | | pronouns. |
| Surviving Roman literature consists largely in the form | | | | |