Here's a breakdown:
* Roman conquest of Gaul (modern France): The Romans conquered Gaul in 58 BC, bringing Latin with them. This Latin, however, was not the formal, literary Latin of the educated, but rather the everyday language spoken by soldiers, merchants, and administrators – Vulgar Latin.
* Evolution of Vulgar Latin: Over centuries, Vulgar Latin evolved independently in different regions of Gaul, influenced by local Celtic languages and Germanic dialects.
* Emergence of "Romance" languages: After the fall of the Roman Empire, these evolving regional varieties of Vulgar Latin became distinct languages, collectively known as "Romance" languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, etc.
* Old French (c. 842 – c. 1300): The language we recognize as Old French emerged around the 9th century, with the first known written text being the *Oaths of Strasbourg* in 842. This language was still heavily influenced by Latin but was evolving with new vocabulary and grammar.
* Modern French: Through the Middle Ages and beyond, Old French continued to change and evolve, leading to the Modern French we speak today.
Therefore, the origin of the French language is the Latin language spoken by the Romans in Gaul, which gradually evolved into the distinct language we know as French.