Forms: 36 Latyn, 37 Latine, 56 Latyne, Laten, 6 Latten, (Lattin, Sc. Latyng), 3 Latin. [a. L. Latīnus adj., f. Latium, the portion of Italy which included Rome. Cf. F. latin. The word (as sb. denoting the language) was adopted in OE. as lǽden (see LEDEN).]
A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to Latium or the ancient Latins (or Romans).
c. 1392. Chaucer, Astrol., Prol. 2. As wel as suffyseth to thise noble clerkes Grekes thise same conclusiouns in Greek and to the Latin folk in Latin.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer, Ordin. Pref. Learned in the Latyne tongue.
1557. Grimald, in Tottels Misc. (Arb.), 116. Caiet the Phrygian who gaue to Latine stronds the name.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 37. Nævius and Plautus the first Latine comedians.
167098. Lassels, Voy. Italy, Pref. 3. I am writing of the Latin country.
1882. Ouida, Maremma, I. 149. The ruins of Roman roads, of Latin castles.
2. Pertaining to, characteristic of, or composed in the language of the ancient Latins or Romans. Of a writer, scholar, etc.: Versed in the Latin language.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. Prol. Latinis exemplaribus, latinum bisenum.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 1413. Eftyr the pruff geyffyn fra the Latyn buk.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 356. In Latyng letteris and in dowbill forme Tha wrait it.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., III. i. 138. Remuneration, O, thats the Latine word for three-farthings.
a. 1614. Donne, Βιαθανατος (1644), 160. The Latine Text is thus cited.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., IV. vi. 453. Latin Grammar.
1712. in Picton, Lpool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 6. In the Chancery of England in the Petty Bag Office or Latin side.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., I. 110. He sometimes subjoins the Latine termination.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (1783), II. 451. A Latin translation of them appeared in Germany.
1845. Stoddart, Gram., in Encycl. Metrop. (1847), I. 163/1. Adelung is of opinion that the Latin et, and Greek ἔτι are identical in origin with the Teutonic enti, unte, &c.
b. transf. (jocular).
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. i. 50. Hang-hog is latten for Bacon.
1599. H. Buttes, Dyets drie Dinner, K iv. So these two words, Eate it, are the unlettered mans latine for any good meate.
1738. Swift, Pol. Conversat., II. 157. Brandy is Latin for a Goose, and Tace is Latin for a Candle.
3. The distinctive epithet of that branch of the Catholic Church that acknowledges the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, and uses the Latin tongue in its rites and formularies. Also applied to its rites, clergy, etc.
1560, a. 1600. [see GREEK a. 3].
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., 167. These words are usually called the words of Consecration in the Latine Church.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierres Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 689. To have the Latin offices of our churches chanted in French.
1845. Sarah Austin, Rankes Hist. Ref., I. 483. He wished to break up the unity of Latin Christendom.
1869. H. Vaughan, Year of Preparation, I. xii. 113. The Easterns deliberated among themselves without the presence of any Latin bishops.
1899. J. Stalker, Christology of Jesus, ii. 47. The Greek and Latin Fathers, from Irenaeus downwards, thus employ it.
4. a. Hist. Applied (in opposition to Greek) to what pertains to the peoples of Western Europe, viewed in their relations with the Eastern Empire and with the Saracens and Turks. b. Used as a designation for the European peoples who speak languages descended from Latin; often with implication of the erroneous notion that these peoples are of Roman descent.
Latin League: a proposed association of Latin nations, advocated by the Spanish minister Castelar in 1884, to restore the balance of power in Europe, and check the increasing influence of Germany. Latin Union: the monetary alliance formed in 1865 by France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland, and afterwards joined by Greece, its object being the adoption and maintenance of a uniform system of bimetallic coinage in each of these states, and the recognition by each state of the coins of the others as legal tender.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., lviii. heading VI. 1. Characters of the Latin princes. Godfrey of Bouillon, first King of Jerusalem.Institutions of the French or Latin Kingdom. Ibid., lxi. heading VI. 174. Partition of the Empire by the French and Venetians.Five Latin Emperors of the Houses of Flanders and Courtenay [12041261].
1821. Byron, The isles of Greece, xiv. (Don Juan, III.). But Turkish force, and Latin fraud, Would break your shield, however broad.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Truth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 51. The Teutonic tribes have a national singleness of heart, which contrasts with the Latin races.
1882. Sat. Rev., 18 March, 323/1. One of Señor Castelars tirades on the Latin League.
† 5. Of a kind of printing type = ROMAN. Obs.
1709. Tanner, 3 Oct., in Ballard MSS., IV. 53. Their Latin Small-Letter being worn out.
6. Phrases. Latin cross: see CROSS sb. 18. Latin square (in Math.): see quot.
1890. Cayley, Coll. Math. Papers (1897), XIII. 55. If in each line of a square of n2 compartments the same n letters a, b, c, are arranged so that no letter occurs twice in the same column, we have what was termed by Euler a Latin square.
B. absol. and as sb.
1. The language of the Latins or people of ancient Rome; the Latin language.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark v. 41. Interpraetatum, ʓetrahtad in latin.
c. 1275. Passion our Lord, 470, in O. E. Misc., 50. Hit wes iwryten on ebreu on gryv and latyn.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 143/1305. Þat ne connen latin non.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., Prol. 2. For latyn ne kanstow yit but smal, my lite sone.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1854. Endite in frensch or latyn þi greef clere.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind., title-p., Translated out of Latyne into Englishe.
1623. B. Jonson, in Shaks. Wks. (1st Fo.), Pref. verses. And though thou hadst small Latine, and lesse Greeke.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. v. 894. When a man speaking Latin, observes not the laws of grammar.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 296, ¶ 1. They adore and honour the Sound of Latin as it is old Italian.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 13. The Latin which Gregory writes is, with little difference, his native tongue.
1842. G. P. R. James, J. Marston Hall, vii. I was filled with a great deal more Latin than I ever knew what to do with.
b. with qualifying words, as good, bad, etc. Dog-latin: see DOG sb. 17 e. False Latin: Latin that is faulty in construction; hence transf., a breach of manners.
1551. T. Wilson, Logike (1580), 3. A Grammarian is better liked, that speaketh true & good Latine, than he yt speaketh false.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. i. 83. Oh I smell false Latine, dunghel for unguem.
a. 1626. Bacon, New Atl. (1900), 2. Written in Ancient Greeke, and in good Latine of the Schoole, and in Spanish.
1665. G. Havers, P. della Valles Trav. E. India, 1856. He [the King] bid us several times put on our Hats; but our Captain answerd that he would not, that they should not cause him to commit that false Latine.
c. Thieves Latin, the secret language or cant of thieves.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxix. A very learned man and can vent Greek and Hebrew as fast as I can Thieves Latin. Ibid. (1824), Redgauntlet, ch. xiii. The thieves-Latin called slang.
2. An inhabitant or native of Latium; one who possessed the Latin right of citizenship. † Also, one who spoke or wrote the Latin language; a Latin writer or author (obs.).
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cviii. (1495), 670. Many Latines calle the notte tre Iouilanus.
a. 140050. Alexander, 5652. Sum in latens lare sum langage of grece.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., III. I. xxxvi. (1636), 351. Time consisteth of two parts knit together by a common band, called of the Latines Nunc, that is to say, now.
1615. Bedwell, Moham. Imp., I. § 15. The languages of the Syrians, Greekes, and Latines.
1644. Digby, Bodies, xxxii. (1645), 336. So that to exercise sense (which the Latines doe call sentire ) is [etc.].
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., I. 326. The Sabines and Latins worshipped the powers of external nature.
1880. Muirhead, Gaius, I. § 28. Latins may attain to Roman citizenship in many ways.
3. (Chiefly in pl.) a. Hist. The designation given at the period of the Crusades to persons belonging to any of the Western nations of Europe, in contradistinction to the Greeks; = FRANK sb. (Cf. A 4 a.) b. A member or adherent of the Latin or Western Church; now rare or obs. exc. with reference to subjects of the Turkish Empire.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), iii. 19. [Men of Grece] suffre not the Latynes to syngen at here Awteres.
1547. [see GREEK sb. 2].
1682. O. N., trans. Boileaus Lutrin, IV. 296. Why vex we then Dead Fathers, Greeks and Lattins? Our Mother Tongue will serve to Mumble Mattins.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., liii. V. 510. After the restoration of the Western empire by Charlemagne and the Othos, the names of Franks and Latins acquired an equal signification and extent.
1867. Lady Herbert, Cradle L., iii. 76. It was only intended for the Catholics (here [at Jerusalem] called Latins).
1881. Conder, in Encycl. Brit., XIII. 644/1. The Latins in Palestine are not numerous, the country villages, when Christian, belonging generally to the Greek Church.
† 4. A translation into Latin, as a school exercise. Chiefly pl.
c. 1500. Song, in Rel. Ant., I. 117. Latens for to make.
1552. Huloet, Nn iij. With all the Lattens to the sayde nombres.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem. (Arb.), 88. The hard pointes of Grammar which scholers in common scholes, by making of Latines, be groping at.
1607. Statutes, in Hist. Wakefield Gram. Sch. (1892), 68. Makinge of translations or Latins.
1679. W. Walker, Eng. Particles, Pref. The first column contains some Englishes, the second such childish and bald Latines as we often find them turned into.
5. Comb.: † Latin-maker, a writer of Latin, a Latinist; † Latin making, Latin composition; † Latin-wit, wit that depends for its quality on being expressed in Latin.
14[?]. Nom., in Wr.-Wülcker, 682. Hic latinista, a *Latyn-maker.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem. (Arb.), 102. Though ye say well, in a *latin making, yet you being but in do[u]bte ye gather and lay vp in memorie, no sure frute of learning But if ye fault in translation, ye ar[e] easelie taught, how to amende it.
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 36. Such things as these go for wit so long as they continue in Latin; but what dismally shrimd things would they appear, if turnd into English? And we shall find the advantages of *Latin-wit to be very small and slender, when it comes into the world.