Conceptualizing Latin Europe
Mapping the Three Stages of Romance Language Evolution
In Romance Philology, the term Latin Europe and the concept of Romània (not to be confused with Romania, the country) capture how the Roman Empire shaped the way people speak and live. The term Romània likely comes from the 5th century AD as a way to refer to the Roman Empire. Over time, its meaning evolved - first referring specifically to the Byzantine Empire and later aligning with the concept of Latin Europe during the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Under this conceptualization, there are three Romànias:
Continuous/Historical Romània
This refers to the uninterrupted areas where Vulgar Latin evolved into the Romance languages spoken today, stretching across Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe. These regions form the historical heart of Latin linguistic continuity.
Submersed/Lost Romània
Some territories of the Roman Empire underwent Latinization but either failed to maintain it (ex, North Africa, the British Isles, and Germany) or saw their Romance languages supplanted by others. For instance, Moselle Romance (Germany), Morlacco (Bosnia and Montenegro), and Dalmatian (Croatia and Montenegro) were isolated and short-lived, replaced by Germanic and Slavic influences.
New Romània
Through colonization, Romance languages traveled beyond Europe. Spanish and Portuguese became the main languages in Latin America, French and Portuguese left their mark on Africa, and French continues to be spoken in places from Polynesia to the Caribbean. Together, these regions form a “new Romance world” that connects more than 900 million native speakers across continents.
Notes:
Just like there are three Romànias, there are also three Romes: Ancient Rome, Constantinople, & Moscow (a theological/political idea of 15th & 16th century).
The eastern Romagna region in Emilia-Romagna is named for being the only part of northern Italy still under Roman control during the Germanic invasions.
Interestingly, “Romania” and its variations have often referred to the East - whether the modern country, the Byzantine Empire, or Italy's Romagna region.