Noun: latín ... Adjective: latino ?

Hola David M.

Great catch — you're absolutely right!

That should be "vocablo latino", not "latín" — it's a typo, and we'll make sure to correct it.

Thanks so much for pointing it out and for your attention to detail!

Un abrazo

Silvia

 

Hi David

You're absolutely right to notice that latín (as the name of the language) and latino (as the adjective) don’t follow the typical Spanish pattern — great observation!

In Spanish, most language names use the same form for both the noun (the language) and the adjective (describing nationality or origin).

For example:

But latín and latino break this pattern. Latín is strictly the language, for example: El latín es una lengua antigua.

Meanwhile, latino is the adjective used to describe something related to Latin culture or heritage: El mundo latino, música latina, autores latinos. This difference exists for historical reasons, as latino evolved from latinus in Latin, meaning “of or relating to Latium” (the region around Rome) and later took on broader cultural meanings.

Interestingly, there aren’t really any other clear examples like this in modern Spanish. Most other language names and their adjectives match exactly in the masculine form. There are, however, a few borderline or cultural variations worth noting.

For instance:

• Árabe is both the language and adjective, but people might use islámico or musulmán to refer to broader cultural aspects — though these aren’t exact equivalents.

• Hebreo is the language, but adjectives like judío or israelita might appear in cultural contexts instead.

Still, these aren’t true grammatical mismatches like latín/latino. So in the end, latín really is the standout exception where the noun and adjective forms clearly differ in Spanish.

Thanks again for your sharp eye and thoughtful question, ¡me encantó!

Un saludo

Silvia