Latin and English

Latin has had an impact on the English language over a number of centuries and by varous occasions and reasons.

The Romans in Britain
Caesar tried to conquer Britain in the years 55 and 54 BC, but had little success. In the year 45 AD Claudius tried again and managed to conquer the islands.
Colchester became the capital of Roman Britain.
78 AD Wales was conquered. Due to various rebellions Caesar Hadrian built the famous wall named after him up to the year 127 AD.
In the year 212 AD alle free British citizens ware granted the Roman civil rights.
The Roman legions were withdrawn in the year 386 AD.
Due to 350 years of Roman occupation a number of words found their way into the Celtic language. The Angels and Saxon however conquered the land in 470 AD, that is after the Roman occupation and brought their language with them. So the effect of Laitn on the actual English language dating back to this period was very limited.
Very few Latin words made it via Celtic transmission to the English language:
(Latin - Old English - Modenr English)
portus - port - harbour
vicus - wic - village
turris - torr - tower

Anglo-Saxon Conquest
The Angels and Saxons had ample contact with the Romans before they decided to conquer Britain. Many Germanic people left their tribes to fight in the Roman legions. They learned a lot of new words, especially words related to the art of Roman warfare and took them home with them.
Apart from warfare the influence of the Romans also was concrated on wares and trading. The Romans even traded with the remote parts of Germania and brought goods for which the population didn't have their own words - so they adopted the Latin words.

Here are some examples for the words the Anglo-Saxons had already adopted before they took them to the British isles: (Latin - Old English - Modern English)
campus -> camp - battle (campaign)
pilum -> pil - javelin (pile)
vallum -> wcall -> wall
caupo -> ceap -> bargain (cheap)
moneta -> mynet -> coin, mint
flasca -> flascc -> flask, bottle
vinum -> win -> wine
caseus -> ciese -> cheese
cuprum -> copor -> copper


To be continued - next chapter: Christianity!