Here's why:
* Origin: French evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken language of the Roman Empire, particularly in the region of Gaul (modern-day France).
* Shared Roots: French shares many similarities with other Romance languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. They all descend from the same Latin ancestor.
* Vocabulary: A significant portion of French vocabulary is derived directly from Latin, with many words still recognizable to Latin speakers.
* Grammar: While French has evolved its own grammar rules, it retains many fundamental structures from Latin, such as noun genders and verb conjugations.
So, while French has evolved over centuries and developed its own unique characteristics, its roots are firmly planted in Latin.