The nameLatin was a commondemonym among the followers of theLatin Church ofWestern Christianity during theMiddle Ages.[1]
The term was related to the predominance of the Latin Church, which is the largest autonomousparticular church within the broaderCatholic Church, and took its name from its origins in the Latin-speaking world which had Rome as its center.[2] Although theLatin language was the official language of theRoman Empire, going back to theItalictribe who inantiquity foundedAncient Rome, the name was used irrespective of ethnicity, including byGermanic, Italic,Celtic andSlavic peoples.[1] Thus the people associated with thestates created during theCrusades were generally referred to as Latins orFranks, the latter being one prominent group represented.[1]
In theByzantine Empire, and the broaderGreek Orthodox world, it was generally a negative characterisation, especially after theEast-West schism in 1054.[3] It did not share this negative connotation in the West, where many self-identified with the term, such asPetrarch, when he states"Sumus enim non greci, non barbari, sed itali et latini." ("We are not Greeks or barbarians; we are Italians and Latins.").[4]
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