Here's a breakdown of why:
* Latin Roots: French, like other Romance languages, has its origins in the Latin spoken by Roman soldiers and colonists in Gaul (modern-day France). Over time, this spoken Latin, known as Vulgar Latin, diverged from the standard Latin used in writing and administration.
* Evolution and Divergence: As the Roman Empire declined, Vulgar Latin continued to evolve independently in different regions. In Gaul, it evolved into a distinct language, eventually becoming what we know as French.
* Shared Features: French shares numerous similarities with other Romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Catalan. These shared features include:
* Vocabulary: Many French words are directly derived from Latin, with some undergoing modifications or additions.
* Grammar: Romance languages share grammatical structures like verb conjugation patterns and noun genders.
* Pronunciation: While there are differences, Romance languages generally have a similar pronunciation system compared to Germanic or Slavic languages.
In essence, French is a Romance language because it directly descends from Latin and shares a common linguistic ancestry with other languages that also evolved from Vulgar Latin.