Late Latin

written Latin of late antiquity

Late Latin is a form of Latin that was written between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin. Scholars do not agree on the exact dates, but it was used from about the 3rd century to the 6th or 7th century CE. There are no exact dates for when Late Latin replaced Classical Latin or when it was replaced by Medieval Latin.

Late Latin
Latinitas serior
Augustine of Hippo (354–430), Late Latin author
Native to(Western) Roman Empire, Ostrogothic Kingdom, Gallic Empire
RegionMare Nostrum region
Era3rd to 6th centuries; developed into Medieval Latin
Early forms
Latin
Official status
Official language in
Both Roman Empires (Later replaced with Koine Greek in the East)
Regulated bySchools of grammar and rhetoric
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologlate1252
The Late-Latin speaking world, 271 CE

Late Latin is a written language, which is also different from Vulgar Latin, which was a spoken language. Late Latin was used and taught by the Church Fathers, who also used it for their theological writings.