Etymology From Middle English Latyn, Latyne, Latin, from Old French latin, latyn, from Latin latīnus, from Latium (“the region around Rome”) + -īnus (adjective suffix). Displaced or merged with Old English Lǣden. Doublet of Ladin and Ladino.
Of or relating to Latin: the language spoken in ancient Rome and other cities of Latium.
Africa was the natural leader because there the number of Christians who were of Roman origin and Latin speech was probably far greater than in so cosmopolitan a city as Rome.1948, L. E. Elliott-Binns, The Beginnings of Western Christendom, page 257:
2
Of or relating to the script of the language spoken in ancient Rome and many modern alphabets.
The Serbo-Croatian incunabula printed in Latin letters are indubitably the products of a very modest establishment.1968, Mladen Bošnjak, A Study of Slavic Incunabula, page 62:
3
Of or relating to ancient Rome or its Empire.
The earliest Latin culture of Ireland was heavily indebted to that of Britain[…]2000, T. M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, page 176:
4
Of or relating to Latium (modern Lazio), the region around Rome.
From the Campagna and the Latin hills, the flame of rebellion spread to Antium and Terracina, and to the most remote allies of the Romans, the cities of the Campanian plains.1913, Oscar Browning, A General History of the World, page 151:
5
Of or relating to the customs and people descended from the ancient Romans and their Empire.
Major for joy, Minor for sadness, is apparently a significance which the German nations read into these scales; while the Semitic, Latin, and Slavic nations do not share this conception.1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 399:
Therefore, although Portugal is a Latin culture, the significant African influence in Brazil creates a culture that cannot be defined simply as Latin; consequently, Brazilians prefer to define themselves as South American[…]2002, Dean Foster, The Global Etiquette Guide to Mexico and Latin America, page 11:
6
Of or from Latin America or of Latin American culture.
As such, today's Latin music is a synthesis of European, African, and the few indigenous elements that remain.2008, Michael Miller, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music History, page 254:
7
Christianity Roman Catholic; of or pertaining to the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.
The Latin bishop now took the Greek bishop by the hand and conducted him to his throne[…]1901, John Hackett, A History of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, page 117:
Etymology From Middle English Latin, Latyn, from Old English Lǣden, from Vulgar Latin *ladinum (“Latin”) and Old French latin (“Latin”); all from Latin Latinus (“belonging to Latium”). Later influenced in form by the Latin word. Compare Dutch Latijn (“Latin”), German Latein (“Latin”), Swedish Latin (“Latin”).
1
Historical A person native to ancient Rome or its Empire.
This appears incontestably from the manner in which the Latins wrote Greek words and names[…]1833, Philipp Buttmann, translated by Edward Robinson, A Greek grammar for the use of high schools and universities, page 23:
2
Historical A member of an Italic tribe that included the early inhabitants of the city of Rome, and from about 1000 BC inhabited the region known as Old Latium.
3
A person from one of the modern European countries (including Italy, Spain etc.) whose language is descended from Latin.
No; the test of the contrast between modern Latins and modern Teutons is exactly like the test of the contrast between modern Latins and ancient Latins.1933, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 'All I Survey': a book of essays, page 148:
Latins are always conspicuously dangerous when they are serving an unpopular cause for money.1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 760:
4
A person from Latin America.
In the use of patent medicine the average Latin resembles the American of fifty years ago, who generally had a bottle of some concoction on which he depended whenever he felt out of sorts.1922, William Edmund Aughinbaugh, Advertising for trade in Latin-America, page 150:
A great country will be when men and women, Africans and Europeans and Latins and Asians are accepted as human, as valuable1986, Daniel Garrett, “Creating Ourselves: An Open Letter”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 100:
5
Christianity A person adhering to Roman Catholic practice.
The modern Latins have been in the habit of blaming the Greek and other Eastern Liturgies for not consecrating by the recital of OUR SAVIOUR'S words of Institution[…]1853, William Palmer, Dissertations on Subjects Relating to the "Orthodox" or "Eastern-Catholic" Communion, page 118: