Latin Resurrected: Programming Perl in the Language of Cicero

When Perl Dons a Toga: Coding in the Lingua Romana

In an astonishing feat of computational linguistics, Damian Conway's Lingua::Romana::Perligata module (v0.604, 2001) enables developers to write fully functional Perl programs using grammatical Latin. This isn't mere keyword substitution—it's a systematic reimagining of Perl's syntax through Latin's grammatical machinery, where variables decline, verbs conjugate, and code blocks flow like Ciceronian prose.

# Traditional Perl
my $max = 100;
for my $i (1..$max) {
    print "Fizz" if $i % 3 == 0;
}

# Perligata Equivalent
meo maximo vestibulo perlegementum da.
per quisque in unum tum maximo conscribementum fac sic
    hoc III recide III aequalitam si fac scribe egresso Fizz inquementum.
cis

The Grammar of Digital Rome

At Perligata's core lies a radical premise: Perl's variables become Latin nouns with declensions determining their computational role:

Latin Form	Perl Equivalent	Role
nextum	$next	Scalar rvalue
nextis	@next	Array lvalue
nextorum	$next[...]	Array element
nextuum	$next{...}	Hash entry

Meanwhile, functions transform into verbs where conjugation defines context:

• decapita (imperative) → shift in void context
• decapitamentum (accusative) → shift returning scalar

Engineering the Unthinkable

Conway implemented astonishing linguistic parallels:

1. Control Structures as Subordinate Clauses: Loops use sic/cis ("as follows"/"to here") as block delimiters, echoing Latin's syntactic flexibility.

2. Roman Numerals as Literals: MMMCXLI Mimos represents 3.141, while indices become ordinals (primum for [0]).

3. References as Prepositional Phrases: ad datu creates a reference to $dat, leveraging Latin's ablative case.

"The lack of argument list brackets in Perligata means noun suffixes alone dictate precedence—a feature that led to remarkable positional freedom but required ingenious solutions for nested calls," Conway noted in the documentation.

Why This Still Matters

Beyond novelty, Perligata demonstrates:

• Syntax as Plastic Art: How grammatical structures can map to computational concepts
• Context Sensitivity: Latin's case system elegantly handles Perl's context nuances
• Historical Continuity: The module's ERA documentation system (ecce intitulo primum) bridges millennia of scholarly tradition

While unlikely to replace Python in classrooms, Perligata remains a masterclass in language design. As one developer quipped in the documentation's adnota: "Si hoc legere potes, mirum fecisti" (If you can read this, you've done something remarkable).

Source: Lingua::Romana::Perligata CPAN documentation (Damian Conway, 2000-2020)