The French language is a Romance language that developed out of the Vulgar Latin spoken in northern and central Transalpine Gaul. Its phonology has undergone significant changes in the sounds of words compared to its Latin origins and cognates in other Romance languages.
French is spoken in many different places and is an official language of more than 25 countries. More than 56 million people in France and Corsica speak it as their first language. It is also spoken in Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, and the United States. Additionally, about 228 million African people use French as a first or second language, and it is the principal international language for millions in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.