However, Latin did evolve from earlier forms of speech, specifically the Italic languages, which were spoken in the Italian peninsula before the rise of Rome. These Italic languages are believed to have shared a common ancestor with other Indo-European languages.
Here's a breakdown:
* Proto-Indo-European: The hypothesized common ancestor of many languages spoken in Europe, Asia, and parts of the Americas.
* Proto-Italic: An early language that branched off from Proto-Indo-European, likely spoken in the Italian peninsula.
* Latin: A member of the Italic language family that evolved from Proto-Italic, specifically in the region of Latium (where Rome was located).
Therefore, while Latin itself is not derived from another language, it can be traced back to a long line of linguistic development stemming from Proto-Indo-European.