French, along with many other Romance languages, evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form of Latin used by common people in the Roman Empire.
While Latin is the ancestor, French didn't simply become "French" overnight. There was a gradual evolution over centuries:
* Vulgar Latin: The spoken Latin of the Roman Empire, which was more informal than the written, classical Latin.
* Gallo-Romance: After the fall of the Roman Empire, Vulgar Latin continued to evolve in different regions. In the area that is now France, it became Gallo-Romance.
* Old French: This period, lasting roughly from the 9th to the 14th centuries, saw the development of distinct regional dialects. The language used in the court of the Ile-de-France, centered on Paris, eventually became dominant.
* Middle French: From the 14th to the 16th centuries, French continued to evolve, adopting influences from other languages. This period saw the emergence of the French Renaissance and the standardization of the language.
* Modern French: The French spoken and written today.
Therefore, while Latin is the ultimate "old language" for French, it's important to remember that French itself went through a long and complex process of evolution before reaching its current state.