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How are Cantonese and Yue related?

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Shang dynasty: oracle bone inscriptions — Chinese languages Oracle bone inscriptions from the village of Xiaotun, Henan province, China; Shang dynasty, 14th or 12th century bce.

Cantonese and Yue are closely related, as Cantonese is the most prominent representative of the Yue languages, which constitute one of the major Sinitic language groups.

In this linguistic context, Yue refers to the broader language group—often categorized as a Southern Chinese dialect group—that includes the dialects of Canton (Guangzhou), Hong Kong, and Macau. While the term "Yue" also historically refers to an aboriginal people of South China, in the study of Chinese languages, it serves as the classification for the family to which Cantonese belongs.123

Standard Cantonese is considered the most important representative of this group, distinguished by its preservation of features from Ancient Chinese, such as a complex system of tones and specific final consonants.42