Latin Language
- Linguistic Classification Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages.  
- Historical Significance Originally spoken by the Latins in the region of Latium, including Rome, Latin became the dominant language throughout the Roman Empire.  
- Evolution into Romance Languages Latin evolved into the Romance languages, which today are spoken by over 920 million people as their mother tongue, and by 300 million people as a second language, mainly in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.  
- Influence on English Vocabulary More than 56% of the vocabulary used in English today derives ultimately from Latin, either directly (28.24%) or through French (28.30%).