Commentary Par XVII 34-35

The word 'latino' has caused debate, with the primary warring interpretations being (1) it refers, as it has throughout Inferno, to things Italian (whether the country or, as twice in Paradiso, its language) and (2) it here means 'Latin,' for the negative reason that, if it does not, then Dante has committed himself to a tautological expression, since 'chiare parole' (plain words) and 'preciso latin' (clear speech) signify the same thing.

For examples of arguments devoted to each of these views, see (for [1]) Honess (Hone.1994.1), pp. 51-52, and (for [2]) Vianello (Vian.1968.1), pp. 593-94.  The view put forward by Vianello does not admit that the two terms may predicate differing things of Cacciaguida's speech.  However, the first term (chiare parole) may refer to his diction, the second (preciso latin) to his syntactical command of the language, his substance and his style, as it were.  See, for an example (and it is only the very first example) of this poet's pleasure in 'multi-predication,' [Inf I 5], 'esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte'; in short, Dante's usual habit would seem to support the first view.  Furthermore, in the rest of the poem 'latino' only once seems surely to refer to the Latin language ([Par X 120]).  On most other occasions it clearly means 'Italian' ([Inf XXII 65]; [Inf XXVII 27]; [Inf XXVII 33]; [Inf XXVIII 71]; [Inf XXIX 88]; [Inf XXIX 91]; [Purg XI 58]; [Purg XIII 92]; and here, where it is employed for the last [thirteenth] time in the poem).  On three occasions, its meaning is not pellucidly clear ([Purg VII 16]; [Par III 63]; [Par XII 144]), although on each of them it would seem likely to mean 'Italian.'  And see Bosco/Reggio ({Bosco.Par.XVII.34-35}) arguing that 'latino,' for Dante, Cecco Angiolieri, Cino da Pistoia, Boccaccio, and others of the time, simply meant 'Italian.'