I have recently discovered that a great many of us posses some knowledge of Latin. Be it a conversational level or simply classic lines and songs, do you know Latin? And do you ever use it in your books? Since fantasy is often medieval based, and Latin is a very medieval language it occurred to me it would be a really cool way to have another language spoken without making one up.

I often use Latin as a basis for character names, scientific names, and race names but I haven't deemed it a spoken language yet. I'm wary of it because of its connections to Roman and Greek culture and the fear that I'll look like a take off of Percy Jackson. But I very much like the language.

I've only used it for place names and so on, like Riniel said. But sometimes I base languages off of Portuguese, so I suspect there's SOME latin in that, at least. =D

eruheran

Since Latin is the foreign language I really know, it tends to sneak it's way into my writing in one form or another. The grammatical set up and the basic sounds are pretty foundational for my currently unnamed language.

I have never thought of using Latin in my stories... now that is a thought.

I love Latin! Even though I don't speak it, I love it when it's in books. It's a very romantic language I think

I learned some latin with the Rossetta stone, it was interesting.

amō amās amat amā́mus amā́tis amant. Some of the worst years of my childhood were spent studying this dead language.

Worst?! come, come, deep down inside, you enjoyed it

*Is trying to remember how to say hi in Latin*

I didn't like Latin when I actually studied it in elementary school, but now that I'm doing Spanish, I've decided I miss Latin. And I have the Latin conjugations so ingrained in my brain that it messes me up in Spanish!

It did help quite a bit to know all the grammar behind Latin when I created the rules behind my language, though. It's basically just Latin with a different vocabulary.

Salve!

I love Latin but have not studied it as much as old English and other of the northern dialects so I tend to use them more.

Oh, yeah! It's been awhile... but you'd think I would remember plain old 'hi'.

Or in the case of a forum... Salvete!

I just started studying Latin. Homeschooling is great!

I'm taking Latin next year in high school!

@Riniel: Does Latin adjust for the plural/formal like Russian? Cool


eru

Plural yes, formal no, although some of its descendants (Spanish, Italian, and French at least) have adopted the formal/familiar distinction.

All I've learned so far in Latin class is feminine declinations of nouns. All the endings of...

Nominative: -a -ae
Genitive: -ae -arum
Dative: -ae -is
Accusative-am -as
Ablative: -a -is
Vocative: -a -ae