New Latin Grammar | Page 4

productions of these
languages date from the sixteenth century. The Slavic division comprises a large number
of languages, the most important of which are the Russian, the Bulgarian, the Serbian, the
Bohemian, the Polish. All of these were late in developing a literature, the earliest to do
so being the Old Bulgarian, in which we find a translation of the Bible dating from the
ninth century.
j. The Albanian, spoken in Albania and parts of Greece, Italy, and Sicily. This is most
nearly related to the Balto-Slavic group, and is characterized by the very large proportion
of words borrowed from Latin, Turkish, Greek, and Slavic. Its literature does not begin
till the seventeenth century.
2. Home of the Indo-European Family.--Despite the many outward differences of the
various languages of the foregoing groups, a careful examination of their structure and
vocabulary demonstrates their intimate relationship and proves overwhelmingly their
descent from a common parent. We must believe, therefore, that at one time there existed
a homogeneous clan or tribe of people speaking a language from which all the above
enumerated languages are descended. The precise location of the home of this ancient
tribe cannot be determined. For a long time it was assumed that it was in central Asia
north of the Himalaya Mountains, but this view has long been rejected as untenable. It
arose from the exaggerated importance attached for a long while to Sanskrit. The great
antiquity of the earliest literary remains of the Sanskrit (the Vedic Hymns) suggested that
the inhabitants of India were geographically close to the original seat of the
Indo-European Family. Hence the home was sought in the elevated plateau to the north.
To-day it is thought that central or southeastern Europe is much more likely to have been
the cradle of the Indo-European parent-speech, though anything like a logical
demonstration of so difficult a problem can hardly be expected.
As to the size and extent of the original tribe whence the Indo-European languages have
sprung, we can only speculate. It probably was not large, and very likely formed a
compact racial and linguistic unit for centuries, possibly for thousands of years.

The time at which Indo-European unity ceased and the various individual languages
began their separate existence, is likewise shrouded in obscurity. When we consider that
the separate existence of the Sanskrit may antedate 2500 B.C., it may well be believed
that people speaking the Indo-European parent-speech belonged to a period as far back as
5000 B.C., or possibly earlier.
3. Stages in the Development of the Latin Language.--The earliest remains of the Latin
language are found in certain very archaic inscriptions. The oldest of these belong to the
sixth and seventh centuries B.C. Roman literature does not begin till several centuries
later, viz. shortly after the middle of the third century B.C. We may recognize the
following clearly marked periods of the language and literature:
a. The Preliterary Period, from the earliest times down to 240 B.C., when Livius
Andronicus brought out his first play. For this period our knowledge of Latin depends
almost exclusively upon the scanty inscriptions that have survived from this remote time.
Few of these are of any length.
b. The Archaic Period, from Livius Andronicus (240 B.C.) to Cicero (81 B.C.). Even in
this age the language had already become highly developed as a medium of expression.
In the hands of certain gifted writers it had even become a vehicle of power and beauty.
In its simplicity, however, it naturally marks a contrast with the more finished diction of
later days. To this period belong:
Livius Andronicus, about 275-204 B.C. (Translation of Homer's Odyssey; Tragedies).
Plautus, about 250-184 B.C. (Comedies). Naevius, about 270-199 B.C. ("Punic War";
Comedies). Ennius, 239-169 B.C. ("Annals"; Tragedies). Terence, about 190-159 B.C.
(Comedies). Lucilius, 180-103 B.C. (Satires). Pacuvius, 220-about 130 B.C. (Tragedies).
Accius, 170-about 85 B.C. (Tragedies).
c. The Golden Age, from Cicero (81 B.C.) to the death of Augustus (14 A.D.). In this
period the language, especially in the hands of Cicero, reaches a high degree of stylistic
perfection. Its vocabulary, however, has not yet attained its greatest fullness and range.
Traces of the diction of the Archaic Period are often noticed, especially in the poets, who
naturally sought their effects by reverting to the speech of olden times. Literature reached
its culmination in this epoch, especially in the great poets of the Augustan Age. The
following writers belong here:
Lucretius, about 95-55 B.C. (Poem on Epicurean Philosophy). Catullus, 87-about 54 B.C.
(Poet). Cicero, 106-43 B.C. (Orations; Rhetorical Works; Philosophical Works; Letters).
Caesar, 102-44 B.C. (Commentaries on Gallic and Civil Wars), Sallust, 86-36 B.C.
(Historian). Nepos, about 100-about 30 B.C. (Historian). Virgil, 70-19 B.C. ("Aeneid";
"Georgics"; "Bucolics"). Horace, 65-8 B.C. (Odes; Satires, Epistles). Tibullus, about
54-19 B.C. (Poet). Propertius, about 50-about 15 B.C. (Poet).