Latin

• adj. 拉丁語的；拉丁人的
• n. 拉丁語；拉丁人

來自拉丁語Latinus,即Latium，古羅馬地名，詞源同latitude,展開，寬度。即Latium人的語言，拉丁語。

Latin (adj.)

Old English latin, from Latin Latinus "belonging to Latium," the region of Italy around Rome, possibly from PIE root *stela- "to spread, extend," with a sense of "flat country" (as opposed to the mountainous district of the Sabines), or from a prehistoric non-IE language. The Latin adjective also was used of the Roman language and people.

Centurion: What's this, then? "People called Romanes they go the house?"
Brian: It ... it says, "Romans, go home."
Centurion [thrashing him like a schoolboy]: No, it doesn't. 'Go home?' This is motion towards. Isn't it, boy?
Brian: Ah ... ah, dative, sir! Ahh! No, not dative! Not the dative, sir! No! Ah! Oh, the ... accusative! Domum, sir! Ah! Oooh! Ah!
Centurion [pulling him by the ear]: Except that domum takes the ...?
Brian: The locative, sir!
[Monty Python, "Life of Brian"]

Used as a designation for "people whose languages descend from Latin" (1856), hence Latin America (1862). The Latin Quarter (French Quartier latin) of Paris, on the south (left) bank of the Seine, was the site of university buildings in the Middle Ages, hence the place where Latin was spoken. The surname Latimer, Lattimore, etc. is from Vulgar Latin latimarus, from Latin latinarius "interpreter," literally "a speaker of Latin." "What Latin was to the learned, that their tongue was to laymen; hence latino was used for any dialect, even Arabic and the language of birds ...." [Donkin, "Etymological Dictionary of the Romance Languages," 1864].

Latin (n.)

"the language of the (ancient) Romans," Old English latin, from Latin latinium (see Latin (adj.)). The more common form in Old English was læden, from Vulgar Latin *ladinum, probably influenced by Old English leoden "language."

1. Carol is a tall, dark, Latin type of woman.

卡蘿爾身材高大，黑發棕膚，是個有著拉丁風情的女子。

來自柯林斯例句

2. Latin and Greek will be squeezed out of school timetables.

拉丁語和希臘語將退出學校的課程表。

來自柯林斯例句

3. Above its doors was a Latin inscription: Non omnia possumus omnes.

門的上方刻有拉丁文銘“人非萬能”。

來自柯林斯例句

4. Leaders of eight Latin American countries are meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, today.

拉美8個國家的領導人今天在委內瑞拉的加拉加斯會晤。

來自柯林斯例句

5. He eventually took Charlie's place in a popular Latin band.

他最終在一個很受歡迎的拉丁樂隊中取代了查利的位置。

來自柯林斯例句