Court Latin

Court Latin is the specialised form of Latin used in Great Nortend. It is named after its official use in the Royal Court, or Curia Regis. Court Latin includes the specific form of Ecclesiastical Latin in use by the Church of Nortend. It differs from Classical Latin in a number of respects, most prominently in pronunciation as well as the frequent use of ille as the definite article.

Use

Court Latin is used in a wide variety of contexts in Great Nortend, and is considered essential knowledge for many. Various uses include by :

• The Church. It is the official language although its use has declined in the popular offices of Mattins, Vespers and of the Holy Eucharist.
• Academia. Court Latin is the official language of the three universities of Aldesey, Limmes and Rhise, and is spoken in oral debates and speeches and in scholarly essays and exams as well as University ceremonies.
• Courts. Lawyers still nowadays frequently converse in Court Latin and it is frequently used in court, both as part of procedural phrases, as well as in the language of the law.
• Parliament. Every Act and Bill has a Latin title and translation, and Court Latin is used in Parliamentary procedure.
• Government, in a limited form. Royal Charters, warrants and letters patent are traditionally first prepared in Latin and then translated into English or exceptionally, in Erebian.

Education

Instruction in the principles of Latin is standard amongst boys, beginning in junior school, whereas girls learn French. It is one of the compulsory subjects for the General Examinations, in addition to English, Mathematics, History and Geography.

Examples

Some prominent examples of the use of Court Latin in Erbonian society include:

• Rex laetabitur in virtute tua—the national anthem of Great Nortend;
• Regulus apparens—the common term for the heir apparent to the throne;
• A writ of offeras corpus ad subjiciendum—the Erbonian regular law equivalent to a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum;
• The Magnificat, Nunc dimittis, Benedictus, Pater noster &c. are referred to in Latin, even if they are not said or sung therein;