Latin:
* Dead language: Latin is no longer spoken as a native language, but rather studied as a historical and literary language.
* Root of Romance languages: Latin served as the foundation for many modern Romance languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
* Grammatical structure: Latin has a complex system of grammatical cases and verb conjugations, with six noun cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, vocative) and a variety of verb tenses and moods.
* Vocabulary: Latin vocabulary is often formal and academic, with many words used in scientific and legal contexts.
* Pronunciation: Latin pronunciation is based on classical Roman pronunciation, which differs from modern Romance languages.
Spanish:
* Living language: Spanish is spoken by millions of people around the world as their native language.
* Romance language: Spanish evolved from Vulgar Latin, a spoken form of Latin used by the common people in the Roman Empire.
* Grammatical structure: Spanish has simplified its grammatical system compared to Latin, with two noun cases (nominative and accusative), but still maintains complex verb conjugation.
* Vocabulary: Spanish vocabulary includes many Latin-derived words, but also includes borrowings from Arabic, Indigenous languages, and other European languages.
* Pronunciation: Spanish pronunciation is based on modern phonetic conventions, which vary by region.
Key Differences:
* Status: Latin is a dead language, while Spanish is a living language.
* Evolution: Spanish evolved from Latin, while Latin is the ancestor of many Romance languages.
* Grammatical complexity: Latin has a more complex grammatical system than Spanish.
* Vocabulary: Spanish vocabulary is influenced by various languages, while Latin vocabulary is more formal and academic.
* Pronunciation: Latin pronunciation is based on classical Roman pronunciation, while Spanish pronunciation is based on modern conventions.
In essence, Latin is the ancestor of Spanish, and while they share many similarities, Spanish has evolved over centuries and developed its own distinct features, becoming a living language with its own pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.