AHC: A revival of Latin as a majority language in any country post-1453/1492

How could Latin be revived in any country as a language of the majority rather than just a noble/ecclesiastical language after the start of the Early Modern Period?
 
I suppose you could have it taught to the common people in schools once such a thing is able to play such an influence (and teach a language so foreign to them), but it sounds like it would end up as nothing more than a quixotic fantasy.

Using common to mean any non-nobles - so towns and cities count as much as the countryside.

Not trying to be a downer, just pointing out that the task is great with little incentive for it to be attempted. Find an incentive and attempts to make it happen could mean something, if the conditions to teach it exist.
 
Maybe if the Papal States survived to the twentieth century they could teach Latin mandatorily in schools?
 
What if Italian Unification occurred during the late medieval period? In the search for a common language, the new state might turn to Latin.
 
This might work...if somehow the Italian states unify.
Perhaps after an Ottoman invasion of the Kingdom of Naples, the Italian state unite in a league of some sort which eventually turns into a union long after the expulsion of the Ottomans, perhaps after a large Protestant gain against Catholicism in some way? Though since the Holy Roman Empire would still exist, a league would be somewhat odd.
 
Perhaps after an Ottoman invasion of the Kingdom of Naples, the Italian state unite in a league of some sort which eventually turns into a union long after the expulsion of the Ottomans, perhaps after a large Protestant gain against Catholicism in some way? Though since the Holy Roman Empire would still exist, a league would be somewhat odd.

It not only still exists and still has claims on Italy and some ability to enforce them. The main threat to that is France. Not really a situation where the Italian states can do much.

Also, why would a temporary alliance (the odds of anything greater than that occuring given how competitive the Italian city-states are at this time is...minimal to say the least. It lasting long enough for the Ottomans to leave would be a far from minor surprise.) lead to even a confederation level of unity?

Let alone something which has to worry about uniting northern and southern Italy, which would be not much less foreign than uniting England and France.
 
Perhaps after an Ottoman invasion of the Kingdom of Naples, the Italian state unite in a league of some sort which eventually turns into a union long after the expulsion of the Ottomans, perhaps after a large Protestant gain against Catholicism in some way? Though since the Holy Roman Empire would still exist, a league would be somewhat odd.

Except in the 15th and 16th century having latin as the "Language of the State" was no big deal. Latin was still the language of the literate classes. There were no states with the ability to enforce language policy through education, so if the Italian peninsula would unite you would still basically be in a country where villagers can't communicate with villagers across the Appenines.

One way I see it happening is inventing some kind of religious sect during the counter-reformation that sets up a Catholic version of the Calvin's Geneva. A Brotherhood of Radical Catholics that rule over a militant city state in the heart of a lutheran nation might protect itself with the use of latin.
 
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Elfwine is absolutely right; all that is necessary to have Latin stay a useful language is to have all of the universities at the time to teach Latin. It would be best if it is used for something such as commerce, trading, banking or the general areas of finance.

Latin

Dicebant mihi sodales, Si sepulchrum amicae visitarem, curas meas aliquantulum fore levatas.

Sub conservatione formae specificae salva anima.

Nullus enim locus sine genio est.

felix qui Potuit rerum cogonscere causas.
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
(PS. I can speak and write Latin, but yet I cannot spell Emperor and Scandinavia correctly. WOW!!:eek:)​
 
This probably fails the POD but somehow have the Papal States at their maximum extent survive to the present era, I'm sure the Papacy would encourage the use of Latin and a distinct "Roman" identity amongst Rome's people.
 
The universities teaching Latin won't accomplish an iota worth of difference. In fact, it probably won't make an iota worth of difference to what they're teaching.

Having it be spoken by the majority of commoners requires at least 19th century level of schooling for the average man. No amount of usefulness for business will change things except by maybe preserving it as a pan-European language.

This probably fails the POD but somehow have the Papal States at their maximum extent survive to the present era, I'm sure the Papacy would encourage the use of Latin and a distinct "Roman" identity amongst Rome's people.

Why so? What does being "Roman" and Latin speaking do that means anything related to anything? Besides allow people to tell whether or not the clergy is mumbling random gibberish or actually reading from the Bible.

I'm not against Latin being a more common language, but I think the POD is too late for it to be anything but the language of the educated - by the point schools influencing the common people are able to make such an impact, the impact of the vernacular has become overwhelming - Latin is at most a useful secondary language for those who have some reason to want to know more than just the local tongue.
 
Sudden Idea
If Russia was to be the successor to Rome, then how about choosing Latin as the official language of the empire. Just proclaiming yourself the successor to Rome is nice, but using their language would certainly help. Just an idea.
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
 
This probably fails the POD but somehow have the Papal States at their maximum extent survive to the present era, I'm sure the Papacy would encourage the use of Latin and a distinct "Roman" identity amongst Rome's people.

Rome was emptied and destroyed so many times even during the 15th century that the population wasn't that Roman at all. The Church was really a pan european organization so there are French, Germans, and Spaniards as much as Romans working there.

What do you guys think of my Counter-Reformation radical city state idea? I kind of think it would have to be outside of Italy.
 
Sudden Idea
If Russia was to be the successor to Rome, then how about choosing Latin as the official language of the empire. Just proclaiming yourself the successor to Rome is nice, but using their language would certainly help. Just an idea.
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor

Who would teach them Latin? The Byzantines used Greek as their liturgical basis.
 
Rome was emptied and destroyed so many times even during the 15th century that the population wasn't that Roman at all. The Church was really a pan european organization so there are French, Germans, and Spaniards as much as Romans working there.

What do you guys think of my Counter-Reformation radical city state idea?

I'm not sure how plausible it is (though maybe if it has a solid core of Latin speakers and eagerly pursues teaching Latin with the stuff they're already indoctrinating...), but its pretty cool.

Certainly more feasible than anything on a larger scale given how dead Latin has become outside the (Catholic) Church and (Western European) scholars, and a good way of having a "secret language" for whatever reason. Maybe not so much full out Latin as the language, but some key phrases and words as things the cult (for want of a better word) uses?

Who would teach them Latin? The Byzantines used Greek as their liturgical basis.

And Latin was as dead or deader in Constantinople (when the "Byzantines" were around, not sure about after the Ottomans) as in the West, too. Greek became the state language for a reason, and it wasn't that Heraclius liked Homer.
 
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