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Indo-European languages (list) Albanian · Armenian · Baltic Celtic · Germanic · Greek Indo-Iranian (Indo-Aryan, Iranian) Italic · Slavicextinct: Anatolian · Paleo-Balkan (Dacian, Phrygian, Thracian) · Tocharian
Indo-European language-speaking peoples Europe: Balts · Slavs · Albanians · Italics · Celts · Germanic peoples · Greeks · Paleo-Balkans (Illyrians · Thracians · Dacians) ·Asia: Anatolians (Hittites, Luwians) · Armenians · Indo-Iranians (Iranians · Indo-Aryans) · Tocharians
Proto-Indo-Europeans Language · Society · Religion Urheimat hypotheses Kurgan hypothesis Anatolia · Armenia · India · PCT Indo-European studies"Latins" can refer to several groups of people. Its meaning has changed throughout time, and can still refer to different things even today.
Contents 1 Antiquity 2 Middle Ages 3 Modern uses 3.1 Latin Europeans 3.2 Latin Americans 3.3 Hispanic and Latino Americans 4 See also 5 External links 6 References // Antiquity Main article: Latins (Italic tribe) Further information: Latin League Groups within the Italian peninsula. Ligures Veneti Etruscans Piceni Umbrians Latins Osci Messapii GreeksThe Latins were an ancient Italic people of the Latium region in central Italy, (Latium Vetus - Old Latium). Although they lived in independent city-states, the Latins had a common language (Latin), common religious beliefs, and a close sense of kinship, expressed in the myth that they were all descendants of Latinus. Latinus was worshiped on Mons Albanus (Monte Albano) during an annual festival that was attended by all Latins, including those from Rome, one of the Latin states. The Latin cities extended common rights of residence and trade to one another. Rome's territorial ambitions united the rest of the Latins against it in 341 BC, but the final victory was on Rome's side in 338 BC. Consequently, some of the Latin states were incorporated within the Roman state, and their inhabitants were given full Roman citizenship. Others became Roman allies and enjoyed certain privileges.
Gradually, with the spread of Roman power throughout Italy and Western Europe, 'Latin' ceased to be an ethnic term and became a legal category.
Middle Ages Further information: Latin Rite and Western ChristianityIn the Byzantine Empire, "Latins" was a synonym of "Western Europeans", referring to all people of the Latin Rite, who were of the Roman Catholic faith (which at the time included northern Europe as well). Today, the term "Latins" is used in the sense of "Latin Rite Roman Catholic" - as a distinction to Eastern Orthodox.
The term was later borrowed, in various variants, by several languages of the Middle East and southern Asia, sometimes referring to any European.citation needed
Modern usesWorldwide nowadays the term "Latin" refers to peoples whose native tongue derives from the Latin language. This ethno-linguistic group is generally categorized under Latin Europeans and Latin Americans.
Latin Europeans Main article: Latin EuropeIn Europe, the term "Latin" refers to the inhabitants of Latin Europe, which draws from the culture left there by the Roman Empire, thus including the use of a Romance language, and Roman Catholicism or Orthodoxism in case of Romanians.1 The descendants of these peoples are the ethnic groups Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, French, Italians, Sicilians, Romanians and Corsicans. Latin Europe is distinguishable from Germanic, Slavic and Greek ethno-linguistic influenced Europe.
Latin Americans Main article: Latin AmericaThe term "Latin" also refers to the inhabitants of Latin America,2 which was colonized by European countries that spoke Latin-based Romance languages and had strong Roman legal and cultural traditions. Romance languages (mainly Spanish, Portuguese, and French) prevail in the region, and most Latin Americans have varying degrees of biological descent from Romance speaking Europeans, particularly from Spanish, Portuguese and Italians.
The term "Latin America" (from French: Amérique latine) was coined under Napoleon III, and played a role in his campaign to return Mexico to a monarchical form of government by installing Archduke Maximilian of Austria as Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico during the Second Mexican Empire. By implying cultural kinship with France, the aim was to transform France into a cultural and political leader of the area.3
"Latin America" is distinguishable from those parts of the Americas sometimes referred to as "Anglo America". There is no consensuscitation needed on categorizing the largely English speaking state of Canada as an "Anglo" country, due to the importance of its francophone province, Quebec. Quebec, a former colony of France, is itself sometimes classified as a "Latin" country by some.
Hispanic and Latino AmericansIn the United States, Hispanic and Latino Americans are sometimes referred to as "Latins".
See also Franks (disambiguation) Latin Right Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Mediterranean race External links Distinguishing the terms: Latins and Romans References ^ [1] ^ http://www.yourdictionary.com/latin ^ Chasteen, John Charles (2001). Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. W. W. Norton. p. 156. ISBN 0393976130.
