The reason French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Romanian are referred to as Romance languages is due to their common origin. These languages evolved from Vulgar Latin, which was the popular form of Latin spoken by the Roman soldiers and settlers of the Roman Empire. Over time, as the Roman Empire collapsed and Latin mixed with local dialects and languages, these languages emerged in different regions. The term "Romance" is derived from the Latin word "Romanicus," meaning "in the Roman manner." So, these languages are called Romance languages because they originated from Vulgar Latin, which was derived from the Roman Empire.
