Medieval Latin

Abstract

The term Medieval Latin refers to Latin from c. 500 until c. 1500 ce. In the first few centuries, Medieval Latin defines texts which contrive to follow the rules of formal literary language, in contrast to Vulgar Latin, which describes the non-formal registers of spoken language. Throughout its history, Medieval Latin texts often deviate from the usage of the canonical classical literature that was closely studied. The departures are owing partly to changes already evident in the grammatical writings and Christian poetry of Late Antiquity. Later developments reflect the influence of spoken languages (especially the Romance vernaculars) and the need of denominations for new realities. Most medieval authors received instruction in ecclesiastical institutions and many became clerics. Consequently their Latin was shaped by their daily readings and recitations from the Bible, liturgy, and Church Fathers. From the fourteenth century onward, the humanists endeavored to describe the usage of classical authors and to reestablish Classical Latin as a literary language. Medieval Latin orthography differs markedly from Classical. The differences may reflect the pronunciation of authors and scribes, but some variation also seems to have been tolerated. Some changes even became the new accepted norm (for instance e instead ae/oe from the twelfth century on). Morphological and syntactical changes mostly represent late antique developments which are continued and intensified, either through the influence of the spoken language or of the late antique readings. The greatest innovation, however, can be observed in vocabulary. The word stock was expanded through semantic adaptation and morphological changes, as well as through the incorporation of foreign words and neologisms. Medieval texts present a great range of linguistic variation, depending on the linguistic competence of the author, the register (for example administrative, literary, and legal language), and the style. Regional differences depend on the language spoken and school traditions, while other changes evolve over time. Moreover, many authors do not hesitate to depart from classical models by creating new genres, styles, and registers, sometimes by combining old ones. They adopt and further develop Late Antique innovations, such as the use of rhythm and rhyme.