Here's why:
* Origins: English belongs to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. Its roots are in the language of the Anglo-Saxons, who invaded Britain in the 5th century AD.
* Romance languages: These languages, such as French, Spanish, and Italian, descend from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire.
* Influence: While English has been significantly influenced by French (due to the Norman conquest in 1066), it retains a core Germanic vocabulary and grammatical structure.
English is considered a hybrid language, with influences from:
* Germanic: Anglo-Saxon (Old English)
* Romance: French (Norman French)
* Latin: Latin vocabulary and scientific terms
* Greek: Scientific and philosophical terms
* Other sources: Words from various languages throughout history, including Norse, Dutch, and Arabic.
So, while English has a significant Romance influence, its core identity is firmly Germanic.