Latin Wikipedia facts for kids
The Latin Wikipedia is a special online encyclopedia written entirely in Latin. In Latin, it's called Vicipaedia or Vicipaedia Latina. It's like the Wikipedia you use, but it uses an ancient language!
This unique Wikipedia project started in May 2002. By October 2012, it had grown to over 80,000 articles. As of October 2015, it was the 47th largest Wikipedia edition based on the number of articles it contained.
Vicipaedia is the biggest Wikipedia written in a dead language. A dead language is one that is no longer anyone's native language. This means no one grows up speaking Latin as their first language anymore.
What is the Latin Wikipedia?
The Latin Wikipedia is a version of the popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, but all its articles are written in the Latin language. It's a place where people can read about many topics, from history to science, all in Latin.
This project is special because Latin is not spoken by many people today. It's mostly studied in schools or used for specific purposes, like in science or law.
History and Growth
The Latin Wikipedia began in May 2002. It started with just a few articles, but it quickly grew over the years. By October 2012, it had more than 80,000 articles. This shows how many people were interested in creating an encyclopedia in Latin.
By October 2015, the Latin Wikipedia had become the 47th largest Wikipedia out of all the different language versions. This is a big achievement for a Wikipedia in a language that isn't commonly spoken.
Why a Latin Wikipedia?
You might wonder why there's a Wikipedia in Latin. Even though Latin is a "dead language," it's still very important. Many English words come from Latin, and it's the root of several modern languages like Spanish, French, and Italian.
Having a Latin Wikipedia helps people who study Latin practice their reading skills. It also helps keep the language alive and shows that it can still be used for modern topics. It's a way to connect the past with the present.
Images for kids
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Latin Wikipedia's 100,000 article logo (18 December 2013)
