AboutMichael Expertise Ph.D. Cand. in Latin. Conversant with all forms of the language: classical, mediaeval, and modern. My purpose is to provide information on the Latin language of all periods. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT REQUESTS FOR TRANSLATIONS. If you need assistance for a translation projects, there are other resources that provide that service, such as Vivat Latina! at www.traditio.com/latin.htm.
Experience I have 45 years of teaching at all levels from public school through university postgraduate. I read, write, and speak Latin daily.
Question Why did Latin die and Italian take over as the main language of Italy?
Regards
Sergio
Answer First of all, Latin never died. It remains as a living language to this day. Nor did Italian "take over." There is no clear dividing line between Latin and Italian. Italian is essentially vulgar Latin, that is, Latin spoken by the common people.
Over time Italian became gradually distinguished from Latin, as the language of the lower classes as distinguished from the upper classes, but even as late as the end of the first millennium, it is hard to tell whether a text is late vulgar Latin or early Italian, as we now call it. By Dante circa 1300 one can see a definite difference.
Even now at the end of the second millennium, Italian (as well as the other Romance languages) are not all that different from vulgar Latin. There is a pamphlet available called "Italian Is Easy if You Know Latin" and consists of only 24 pages!
