LATIN

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from ~ ~us, from Latium, ancient country of Italy Date: before 12th century 1. of, relating to, or composed in ~, romance , of or relating to Latium or the ~s, of or relating to the part of the Catholic Church that until recently used a ~ rite and forms the patriarchate of the pope, of or relating to the peoples or countries using Romance languages, II. noun Date: before 12th century the Italic language of ancient Latium and of Rome and until modern times the dominant language of school, church, and state in western Europe, a member of the people of ancient Latium, a Catholic of the ~ rite, a member of one of the ~ peoples, ~ alphabet