Italian is descended from Vulgar Latin, the common spoken language of the Roman Empire. It began to diverge from Latin in the 9th century, and by the 13th century, it had become a distinct language.
Italian is a relatively easy language to learn for English speakers, as it has a similar grammatical structure and many cognates (words that are similar in sound and meaning). However, Italian pronunciation can be challenging, as it has many sounds that are not found in English.
Italian is a beautiful and expressive language, and it is a great choice for anyone who wants to learn a new language.