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First, here is a brief history of the (theorized) origin of Latin. Naturally, no records exist from the earliest time periods.
Many languages spoken today are traced back to the Indo-European root language. The Indo-European root language is
not a recorded language, but is a construction based on similarities in various languages and an analysis of them. This language
is thought to be the root for many different languages, including the Greek and Latin families. The people who spoke this
language lived over 6000 years ago. The area in which they live is not certain, but a reasonable guess is shown on the map
below. These people gradually split up and migrated outward. As the people moved outward, their languages changed,
changing some sounds and making up new ones. One group of these people went into the area of western Europe and down
into the Italian peninsula. While there were initially several sub branches on this branch, Latin eventually replaced all the others
as the Romans conquered the peninsula.
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