Latin is the root of all Romance languages. However, despite being the precursor to languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, use of Latin other than in the Roman Catholic Church and Vatican City is quickly diminishing. In fact, yourDictionary lists Latin on its "extinct and endangered" languages list.
The Latin language itself is split into two vernaculars. One is considered Classical Latin, which is the literary form and most often used today. The other is the Vulgar form, which was spoken by Roman soldiers and the people whose lands they conquered. Most Romantic languages came from the Vulgar form of Latin. (Source: http://www.bartleby.com/65/la/Latinlan.html)
Learning Latin can be difficult, as it is not emphasized in most schools. Using an online free dictionary can be of great help when trying to comprehend the ancient language.
yourDictionary's Latin Resources
Beyond learning the language for school or in a university setting, knowing Latin can increase knowledge of a person's native tongue language. Many words used today have Latin roots, suffixes, or prefixes.
To find Latin resources recommended by yourDictionary, select "Language" from the list of dictionaries at the top of the homepage. From the Languages page, choose "Latin." A number of resources under the "Romance Languages" category are given. Choose from any of those listed, including:
- A Latin Dictionary of Saxo Grammaticus (Medieval Latin): This Latin dictionary is meant for those with at minimum a rudimentary knowledge of the Latin language. The preface and other related information are all written in Latin. An index of abbreviations is given. To find the word you need, click on the first letter of the word and scroll to view the definition.
- Lynn Nelson's Latin-English Dictionary (Hong Kong): Use this translation dictionary to look up words in either Latin or English. Search for "croceus" brings up results of "yellow, golden, saffron-colored, of saffron." For beginners, a helpful "misspellings allowed" button allows the dictionary to find words it thinks you may be looking for--even if you spelled them wrong.
- Latin Dictionary and Grammar Aid: Search this online dictionary by typing the entire word, stem of the word, or the first letter of the word you need. An "endings" spot is also available to help narrow down the results. Scrolling to the bottom of the homepage offers an additional Latin wordlist and grammar aide to help you wit the language.
Online Free Latin Dictionary
Using a translation dictionary to get words in English or a Latin dictionary to look up words in the language to find their meaning is extremely helpful for students of the Romance language. Try these additional free Latin online dictionaries to get the information you need:
- Online English to Latin to English Dictionary: This dictionary provides translations from Latin to English and back again. For example, typing in "house" results in ten different types of houses and the Latin word.
- Glossary of Grammar and Syntax: Use this English language dictionary to look up various grammatical terms used when learning Latin. Examples of the rules are often given in both Latin (boldface type) and then translated into English (italic type). Links to other entries and helpful terms are provided within definitions as needed. When necessary, further explanation is provided using tables or bullets, such as the definition for "conditional sentence."
- Latin Word List: This wordlist is comprised of Latin words, followed by the English definition/translation. You must scroll through the list to find the word you need. This extensive listing includes some proper nouns, indicated by capitalization.
An online dictionary can only be useful if you remember where it is found. Be sure to bookmark the free Latin dictionaries you rely on the most. Whether you need a definition in Latin for a Latin word, or need an English definition or translation, there is sure to be a dictionary online to meet your needs.
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