French is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French (Francien) largely supplanted. It was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul and by the Germanic Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. As a result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 16th century onward, it was introduced to new territories in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole, were developed. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French.
New Hemingway-inspired mural unveiled in Latvian port city
In the Latvian port city of Liepaja, French artist Mathieu..
Bastille Day 2025 in Paris turned into a diplomatic and military spectacle as Indonesia—the world’s largest Muslim-majority..
India-France Exercise: In a show of strength, camaraderie, and friendly competition, Indian and French troops were seen..
Culture catch-up: Why the UK and France are bringing Adolescence drama into classrooms
In this week’s cultural..
