The modern study of Classical Latin creates the illusion that it is a precisely-defined and immutable language; but all living languages are changing continuously, and Latin was no exception. Even in the Classical period many varieties of Latin were written and spoken, and as the Empire collapsed Latin, especially the spoken language of the common people, evolved. This language, Vulgar Latin, not the medieval Latin of learned scholars, evolved further into the Romance languages. This book traces the development of Vulgar Latin and will therefore be of interest to medievalists and students of Romance languages. Charles Hall Grandgent was a professor at Harvard from 1896 to 1932. He was highly regarded as a Romance linguist and authority on Dante. He was also a leading expert on American English dialects.
The modern study of Classical Latin creates the illusion that it is a precisely-defined and immutable language; but all living languages are changing continuously, and Latin was no exception. Even in the Classical period many varieties of Latin were written and spoken, and as the Empire collapsed Latin, especially the spoken language of the common people, evolved. This language, Vulgar Latin, not the medieval Latin of learned scholars, evolved further into the Romance languages. This book traces the development of Vulgar Latin and will therefore be of interest to medievalists and students of Romance languages. Charles Hall Grandgent was a professor at Harvard from 1896 to 1932. He was highly regarded as a Romance linguist and authority on Dante. He was also a leading expert on American English dialects.
