Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors, medieval Latin should not be confused with Ecclesiastical Latin. There is no real consensus on the exact boundary where Late Latin ends and medieval Latin begins. Some scholarly surveys begin with the rise of early Ecclesiastical Latin in the middle of the 4th century, others around AD 500, and still others with the replacement of written Late Latin by written Romance languages starting around the year 900.
Read more about Medieval Latin: Changes in Vocabulary, Syntax, and Grammar, Orthography, Medieval Latin Literature, Literary Movements, Works
Famous quotes containing the words medieval and/or latin:
“Nothing in medieval dress distinguished the child from the adult. In the seventeenth century, however, the child, or at least the child of quality, whether noble or middle-class, ceased to be dressed like the grown-up. This is the essential point: henceforth he had an outfit reserved for his age group, which set him apart from the adults. These can be seen from the first glance at any of the numerous child portraits painted at the beginning of the seventeenth century.”
—Philippe Ariés (20th century)
“Where liberty dwells there is my country.”
—Anonymous. Latin phrase.
Adopted as a motto by U.S. patriot and orator James Otis (1725-1783)