Vernacular Languag

Vernacular Language

Aaron Walsh

HUMA215-1202A-17

04//01/2012

Professor Reed

Vernacular is a term used in sociolinguistics to refer to the native language or dialect of speech in a community. This paper talks about how the Latin became the principle language throughout the Roman Empire and territory.

As the Roman Territory grew, Latin became the common dialect and spread as well. An area controlled by the Romans, Latin became what was both the spoken as well as written language of the magistrates and business, as well as the Christian religion. With each expansion of Roman Territory, Latin would become a communal language that permitted societies of varied language educations to be able to talk.

Of all the cultures that arose from the Mediterranean, Rome was the most vast and most powerful of all. At one point, the Roman Empire encompassed land that stretched from as far north as Scotland to as far south Sahara Desert. Rome developed into two distinct cultures, the Greeks and the Etruscans.

Although no Etruscan literature has survived the years, scholars do have some texts to examine. The texts have shown a relation to the Greek language as far as alphabet, but the language itself is completely different.

Latin had other than one single usage. As it changed over time, it became both written, as well as spoken, and the academic level or societal standing of the author or orator often determined the ultimate form of the language. Influenced by native languages, Latin became the cultural language within the larger region of what later came to be recognized as the Roman Empire (Sayre, 2010).

During the time of Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance, the development of Latin literacy was greatly enriched. Reading and writing were aptitudes that some societies had; however, education was not widespread prior to that period. Latin Literacy was mostly partial to people of the wealthy classes and the clergy. Charlemagne called on Alcuin of York to...