Sarah Ginger Morrison
What Is The Language Of Love?
AIU Online Shari Manley

During the rise of the Roman Empire the Latin language was used on a daily basis. The Latin language was both written and spoken and over time it was developed and promoted in the Carolingian Renaissance era. Literacy in Latin was not among all people in this time it was used mostly by the upper classes and members of the clergy (Career Education Corporation [CEC], 2013). Until the twelfth century the Latin language was used by all the writers of this time. It was till then that the writers began to use another language, a language that some would call the language of love. The writers in the twelfth century started using the vernacular language this was a trend started by the French at the end of the century. Eleanor of Aquitaine established the city of Poiters as the center for the literary movement focused on the writings of love (CEC, 2013).
The ones of this era picked up on this use of language was the troubadours. They expressed the feelings that were felt in their writings and the women, known as trobairitz, also shared their feelings for an unattainable love. The poetry that was written was expressed feeling for love, temptations, and romance (CEC, 2013). The word romance comes from the Old French word, romans (Sayre, 2013). The troubadours that used this language usually accompanied themselves with a lute or a lyre; they used the words to express love they did not use the emotional feelings associated with love (Sayre, 2013). When reading the writings of the men and women in this time the words that are used are of longing, suffering, distance, romance and temptation. The heart is open to being wounded in love. The person writing is looking for an answer and through their writings they may find it or not but in hopes that the reader or listener finds the answer. There are about twelve trobairitz, women troubadour poets. One of the writers is the wife to William, Count of Poitiers. Beatriz de Dia was married to the count but during her marriage she fell in love with another. She had a hidden love affair in her heart and was not able to do as she wished and leave her husband for another (Sayre, 2013). She in turn wrote her feelings out and got her emotions our on paper without expressing who she or he was. He was the love she had always wanted and longed for. She wanted to feel his touch and to hear his voice next to her and being in a marriage that was probably arranged it was not possible for her to do so without causing shame to her and her family. She makes it clear in her writings that she loves another and it also clearly states the act of adultery (Sayre, 2013). In this poetic letter she writes, in the vernacular language that was used on a daily basis and not in the Latin language of the upper class, so therefore the readers were among a more vast audience (Sayre, 2013). With the daily language being used by the people, poets were able to reach out to many of this time period and the spread of this language used was done so through the power of literary works. With the high spread of the language across Europe, the writers of this time period were reaching out to all of the people of the land. In some of the most famous writings such as, Chretien de Troyes about Guinevere and Lance Lot, they were not able to reconcile the love they had for one another because of the titles that they held in the world (Sayre, 2013). Guinevere and Lancelot loved one