Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the use of Latin in contemporary far-right political communication. Despite the absence of native speakers and its unintelligibility for most audiences, Latin appears in speeches, slogans, tattoos, merchandise, and online messaging by far-right actors. Drawing on case studies from the Netherlands, Brazil, the United States, and Italy, we show how Latin can evoke politicised ‘golden ages’, from the Roman Republic and Empire to the Christian Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and Fascist Italy. We argue that Latin’s political force lies in its symbolic affordances: its long history enables layered claims of continuity and renewal; its associations with empire, the Roman Catholic Church, elite education, and authority, support claims to power and lend legitimacy; and its restricted accessibility strengthens boundaries between in-groups and out-groups. Moreover, its opacity and grammatical compactness facilitate strategic ambiguity, allowing ideological signalling with plausible deniability. The article contributes to our understanding of the politicisation of historical languages by demonstrating how the Latin language functions in contemporary nationalist and far-right mythmaking.
Source: Language & History
Authors: Han Lamers, Bettina Reitz-Joosse
Institutions: University of Oslo, University of Groningen
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7208416307