* Latin as the Base: Around 200 BC, Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Latin, their language, became the dominant language in the region.
* Regional Variations: Over time, Latin evolved differently in different parts of the peninsula, influenced by local languages and dialects. This created various "Romance" languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and others.
* Castilian Dialect: The Castilian dialect, spoken in the region of Castile, eventually became the most prominent, thanks to its political and military dominance.
* Spanish as a National Language: As Spain's influence spread, Castilian became the official language of the kingdom, later becoming known as "Spanish."
So, Spanish emerged organically from the evolution of Latin over many centuries, influenced by various factors like local languages, political power, and geographical separation. It's important to remember that language development is a continuous process, not a single event.