Latin has had a significant influence on the English language, providing many loan words. English began borrowing Latin words during Britain's contact with the Roman civilization, incorporating terms related to agriculture and war. When Christianity came to Britain in 597 AD, more Latin words were borrowed to describe new religious concepts. The translation of the Vulgate Bible in the Middle Ages introduced words like "generation" and "persecution". During the Renaissance, Latin words flooded English texts. Today, Latin continues to be a source of technical and scientific terms in fields like medicine. While Latin loan words expanded the English vocabulary by filling gaps, some argue that excessive use of Latin stunted the growth of native English words.