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Jan 11, 2018 · So, now, we’ve reached a point where I can answer the question in the title: Is English a Romance language? While this is a much-debated question (do a google search and see for yourself), the simple answer is: no, it’s not. At least, not to a linguist.
Contrary to a popular belief that the Romance languages are so named because they are the languages of love, the word Romance indicates the connection of these languages with Rome. The English word comes from an Old French form of Latin Romanicus, used to designate a vernacular type of Latin speech and literature.
The Romance languages, also known as the Latin or Neo-Latin languages, are the languages that are directly descended from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family.
Oct 4, 2022 · English is not a Romance language. Instead, it belongs to the Germanic language family, and includes the following languages: Afrikaans. Danish. Dutch. German. Norwegian. Swedish. Yiddish. If you have a deep knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar, you may find these languages easier to learn due to their similarities.
English was very simplified after the Norse invasion -- almost a Germanic pidgin. It lost gender cases, inflections, and accented letters (all of which Romance languages still have), among other things. The only connection with French and other Romance languages is a heavy overlay of French vocabulary. –
