Here's a breakdown of its origins:
* Latin roots: Like all Romance languages, Portuguese descended from Vulgar Latin, the language spoken by the common people in the Roman Empire.
* Galician-Portuguese: In the Middle Ages, a dialect of Vulgar Latin evolved in the region encompassing modern-day Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. This dialect, known as Galician-Portuguese, formed the foundation for both Portuguese and Galician.
* Divergence: Around the 13th century, Portuguese began to diverge from Galician, primarily due to the political separation between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Kingdom of Galicia. This led to different linguistic developments, including pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
* Spread: Portuguese spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula through the Portuguese Empire, reaching Brazil, Africa, and Asia. These regions influenced the language, resulting in different varieties of Portuguese spoken today.
In summary, Portuguese is a Romance language that originated from Vulgar Latin, evolved into Galician-Portuguese, and then diverged to become its own distinct language.