Which language did German derive from?

German derives from Proto-Germanic, an extinct language spoken by the Germanic peoples in Northern Europe around the 2nd century AD.

Here's a simplified breakdown:

* Proto-Indo-European: This is the ancestor of most of the languages spoken in Europe, including German, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Hindi.

* Proto-Germanic: A branch of Proto-Indo-European, Proto-Germanic was spoken by the Germanic tribes and gave rise to the Germanic languages.

* German: One of the Germanic languages, German evolved from Proto-Germanic.

So, while German is a distinct language today, it traces its origins back to Proto-Germanic, which itself originated from Proto-Indo-European.