Romance languages FAQ
Question:
What are the Romance Languages?
The main Romance languages are French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Romanian. The Romance group also includes Catalan (north-east Spain), Occitan (southern France), Sardinian, and a cluster of dialects spoken in northern Italy and Switzerland known as Rhaetian. Dalmatian, once spoken along the eastern Adriatic coast, died out towards the end of the 19th century.
Question: Why is this language group called 'Romance languages'?
The Romance languages are derived from Latin, the language of Rome.
In those areas where the Roman empire had its most durable impact Latin evolved from its classical form through 'vulgar' or demotic Latin into the modern forms we now know as French, Italian, etc. The main Romance languages were spread extensively through colonialism and are spoken by many hundreds of millions of people outside Europe in pure or creole form.
Question: Are the Romance languages easy to learn?
Romance languages are among the easiest of languages for English speakers to learn. One reason for this is the number of words in Romance languages that are similar to the English equivalent - either because they have entered the English language as 'loan words' (many of French origin) or originate from Latin. An example is propose, proponer (Spanish) which both originate from proponere (Latin).
Question: Does some knowledge of Latin help in learning one of the Romance languages?
Yes.
The core of all the Romance languages is derived from words whose Latin origin remains recognizable, often very obviously so, though changes in spelling and pronunciation sometimes conceal the likeness.
Here are some examples:
Latin
pater
mater
filia
schola
clavis
nox
amicus
French
père
mere
fille
école
clef
nuit
ami
Italian
padre
madre
figlia
sculoa
chiave
notte
amico
Portuguese
pai
mãe
filha
escuela
llave
noite
amigo
Spanish
padre
madre
hija
escuela
chave
noche
amigo
English
father
mother
daughter
school
key
night
friend
