Here's the breakdown:
* Latin Roots: Romance languages like Spanish, French, Italian, etc., all descend from Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire.
* Norman Invasion: In 1066, the Normans, who spoke a French dialect, conquered England. This brought a huge influx of French words into English.
* French Influence: Norman French became the language of the court, government, law, and aristocracy. Over time, many French words became integrated into English, especially words related to these areas.
Examples of Similar Words:
* English | Spanish | French | Latin Root
* --- | --- | --- | ---
* Government | Gobierno | Gouvernement | gubernare (to govern)
* Justice | Justicia | Justice | jus (law, right)
* Royal | Real | Royal | regalis (royal)
* Table | Mesa | Table | tabula (board, plank)
Further Points:
* Borrowing: This process of borrowing words is called borrowing, and it's common among languages.
* Lexical Layers: English has multiple "layers" of vocabulary due to its history, with Latin/Romance words alongside Germanic roots (from Old English).
* Geographical Proximity: England's proximity to France also facilitated language contact and borrowing.
In essence, the similarities between English and Romance languages reflect the enduring influence of the Norman Conquest and the deep roots shared through Latin.