Is spanish closely related to latin?

Yes, Spanish is very closely related to Latin. In fact, Spanish is a Romance language, which means it evolved directly from Vulgar Latin, the spoken language of the Roman Empire.

Here's how it happened:

* Latin: The official language of the Roman Empire.

* Vulgar Latin: The everyday language spoken by the common people of the Roman Empire, which differed from the more formal, written Latin.

* Romance Languages: After the fall of the Roman Empire, Vulgar Latin continued to evolve in different regions, eventually giving rise to languages like Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and many others.

So, Spanish is essentially a descendant of Latin, just as English is a descendant of Proto-Germanic. While the two languages have evolved significantly over the centuries, they share a common ancestor and many similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.