Here's how:
* The Indo-European Language Family: English is part of a vast language family called Indo-European, which encompasses hundreds of languages spoken across Europe, Asia, and parts of the Americas.
* Reconstructing PIE: Linguists use a process called comparative linguistics to analyze similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and sound systems of related languages. Through this process, they have been able to reconstruct the features of PIE, a language spoken thousands of years ago, likely in the steppes of Central Asia.
* Tracing the Lineage: English, through its Germanic roots, can be traced back through Proto-Germanic, Proto-West Germanic, and Old English to ultimately reach PIE.
So, while English has evolved significantly over time, its roots can be traced back to a single ancient language, Proto-Indo-European.