NativLang Animator Explores How Ancient Latin Sounded in New Video
Animator Josh Rudder of NativLang has created a video investigating the pronunciation of ancient Latin, drawing on sources such as the rhetorician Quintilian and Virgil’s poetic meter. The video, titled “What Latin Sounded Like,” is described as a linguistic detective story rather than a straightforward pronunciation guide. Rudder’s research involved tracing the Romance languages and examining interactions between Germanic tribes and Roman troops. The video does not rely on Derek Jarman’s film Sebastiane, which was performed entirely in vulgar Latin (sermo vulgaris). The project is part of a broader interest in ancient Rome, which includes recreations of Roman meals and depictions of Emperor Hadrian’s bathhouse in the manga and film Thermae Romae. The video is available on YouTube and was featured on Open Culture.
Key facts
- Animator Josh Rudder of NativLang created a video titled “What Latin Sounded Like.”
- The video draws on ancient rhetorician Quintilian and Virgil’s poetic meter.
- Rudder’s research includes tracing Romance languages and Germanic tribes’ interactions with Roman troops.
- Derek Jarman’s film Sebastiane was filmed entirely in vulgar Latin (sermo vulgaris).
- The video is described as a linguistic detective story, not a reconstructive pronunciation guide.
- The project is part of ongoing public interest in ancient Rome, including Roman cuisine and Hadrian’s bathhouse.
- The video is available on YouTube and was featured on Open Culture.
- An earlier version of the Open Culture post appeared in 2016.
Entities
Artists
- Josh Rudder
- Kirk Douglas
- Laurence Olivier
- Derek Jarman
- Quintilian
- Virgil
- Hadrian
- Ayun Halliday
Institutions
- NativLang
- HBO
- Open Culture
Locations
- Rome
- Italy