Why is English not Latin?

English has its roots in the Germanic languages, from which German and Dutch also developed, as well as having many influences from romance languages such as French. (Romance languages are so called because they are derived from Latin which was the language spoken in ancient Rome.)

When did the English stop speaking Latin?

Throughout much of western Europe, from Late Antiquity, the Vulgar Latin of everyday speech developed into locally distinctive varieties which ultimately became the Romance languages. However, after the end of Roman rule in Britain during the early 5th century, Vulgar Latin died out as an everyday spoken language.

How did Latin affect the English language?

Latin has influenced the English language tremendously. Their language, not suprisingly, influenced English. Since their language (French) was a Romance language descended from Latin, this gave Latin an indirect influence on English. Latin also influenced Old English directly because of the Roman Conquest of England.

How close is English to Latin?

About 80 percent of the entries in any English dictionary are borrowed, mainly from Latin. Over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots. In the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, the figure rises to over 90 percent.

Why did English eventually replace French and Latin?

Because the world’s leading economies during the 1800s and 1900s were English-speaking and because English was spread to so many countries around the world under the British empire, English became the world’s most widely spoken second language and the main language of international communication.

How did Latin become English?

Catholic monks mainly wrote or copied text in Latin, the prevalent Medieval lingua franca of Europe. However, when monks occasionally wrote in the vernacular, Latin words were translated by finding suitable Old English equivalents. Often, a Germanic word was adopted and given a new shade of meaning in the process.