Vulgar Latin

Page of Lay of the Cid

Vulgar Latin refers to the nonstandard sociolects of Latin spoken by the people of the Roman Empire until the early Middle Ages. Unlike Classical Latin, which was the literary standard and taught form of Latin, Vulgar Latin was the colloquial language spoken on the streets and in the homes of the Roman populace. It is the ancestor of the Romance languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and others, which evolved from its dialects.

Origins and Development

Vulgar Latin emerged from the linguistic diversity of the Roman Empire, where various languages and dialects coexisted. As the empire expanded, Latin was brought to new territories, mixing with local languages and evolving differently in each region. This process led to the formation of regional dialects of Vulgar Latin, which gradually diverged from Classical Latin in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

Characteristics

Vulgar Latin differed from Classical Latin in several key aspects:

• Pronunciation: There was a shift in the pronunciation of vowels and consonants, which varied regionally.
• Grammar: The grammar of Vulgar Latin became simplified over time, with less emphasis on inflection and the use of prepositions to indicate relationships between words.
• Vocabulary: Vulgar Latin incorporated many words from other languages of the Roman Empire, reflecting the everyday life and the cultural interactions within the empire.

Transition to Romance Languages

The transition from Vulgar Latin to the Romance languages was a gradual process that occurred over several centuries. The fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century and the subsequent political and social changes accelerated the fragmentation of the Latin-speaking world. Isolated communities developed their own dialects, which over time became distinct languages.

Documentation and Study

Vulgar Latin is primarily known from inscriptions, graffiti, and the writings of Roman authors who commented on the speech of the common people. Later, medieval texts, such as the Oaths of Strasbourg and the Cantigas de Santa Maria, provide evidence of the early stages of the Romance languages. Linguists reconstruct the features of Vulgar Latin by comparing the Romance languages and tracing shared changes back to their common source.

Legacy

The legacy of Vulgar Latin is evident in the modern Romance languages, which retain many of its characteristics. It also influenced the development of the Latin alphabet and contributed to the vocabulary of many other languages, including English.