The Latin language was initially a small dialect spoken by a few inhabitants around ancient Rome. With the dominance of the Latins over the tribes inhabiting the Italian peninsula, it evolved into the language of those tribes. After the Roman conquests in the countries around the Mediterranean, it became the official language of this entire Roman world. It belongs to the so-called Indo-European or Japhetic language family.

Over time, this language developed and was enriched in form and content by the languages and culture of the peoples conquered by the Romans, particularly the Greeks. It became a universal and comprehensive language, serving as the medium of expression for Roman civilization and later became the foundation for the creation of the modern European languages.