Language

[ll_billym]

When you look in a dictionary many words come from latin.  But what did Roman dictionaries say that their words came from?  Or did they have a branch of government responsible for word making?

[liestef]

Interesting question! But, did the Romans actually have dictionaries? I think I remember hearing that the first one was an English dictionary. I may be wrong though. you've got me thinking now!! :-)

[NoGood Boyo]

Yes, good question indeed. Give me a couple of days and I might come up with an answer. If you're lucky, Quizmonster will chip in before that, and I'd go with what he says.

[el duerino]

well according to legend and quite possibly rooted in fact the romans were descended from the survivors of troy, who themselves are suspected of being a ahhh cant remember off top of my head but minoan or one other one. where they came from is unknown but i suspect that written language was not far off being a new development by then.

[Hippy]

I think they borrowed and corrupted existing words from Greek and local natter from tribes around what was to become northern Italy.

[Bobjenkins]

The Romans didnt have a dictionary the very first dictionary was the english dictionary published by Dr Samuel Johnson in the 18th Century

[Quizmonster]

If you click http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573731/Dictionary.html and scroll down to the paragraph which opens: "The Greeks and Romans..." you'll get an answer. Basically, these peoples didn't have what we would recognise as a 'dictionary' as such. Certainly much of Latin vocabulary was borrowed - and often modified - from Greek.

[Quizmonster]

Bob and I seem to have got involved in a bit of synchrography there! I think, if you read the complete web-page my link above takes you to, you'll see that several 'dictionaries' preceded Dr Johnson's. I suppose, in the end, it all boils down to what one is prepared to accept as a dictionary. Cheers

[NoGood Boyo]

Hoots mon! I knew you'd come, Quizmonster! Saves me a job! Thanks. NGB

[Quizmonster]

Och aye...it's nae boather, NGB!