Here's why:
* Single Parent Tongue: The Indo-European languages are all descendants of a single ancestral language, known as Proto-Indo-European. This language is reconstructed based on similarities between the various Indo-European languages spoken across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.
* Nomadic Peoples: The speakers of Proto-Indo-European were likely a nomadic people who migrated from a region somewhere in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe around 4500-3500 BCE. Their migrations spread their language across vast regions, leading to the diversity of Indo-European languages we see today.
* Significant: The Indo-European languages are some of the most widely spoken languages in the world, encompassing a vast geographic area and a huge population. This includes major languages like English, Spanish, Hindi, Russian, and German.
Important Note: While the Indo-European peoples are a prominent example, there are other nomadic peoples who spread their languages across significant regions. For instance, the Turkic peoples, who speak languages descended from Proto-Turkic, have also had a significant impact on the linguistic landscape.