Speaking Latin In Everyday Conversation
| Field | Language, Communications |
| Went Obsolete | 20th century |
| Made Obsolete By | Other more popular languages |
| Knowledge Assumed | Speaking and comprehension of Latin |
| When useful | in science, some universities, understanding a Latin Mass in a Catholic church |
Latin was the language of the Roman Empire and as the empire expanded, the use of Latin expanded with it. Latin is often regarded as the mother of many modern Languages, such as Italian, French, Spanish, Portugese, Romanian, and others (often referred to as Romance languages), but the direct use of Latin in conversation began to die out as the Roman Empire and later the Holy Roman Empire began to collapse. Latin also influenced other modern languages such as English and to a much lesser extent German.
Latin is in regular use in a few places, such as the Roman Catholic Church, where Mass is often given in Latin. The Pope gives Mass in many languages; among them Latin. It is also used to some degree in scientific, legal, and medical communities, but mainly as short phrases or for assigning scientific names to things, rather than in regular conversation.