Italian, a member of the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, traces its origins to Vulgar Latin, the common speech of the Roman Empire. It serves as the official language of Italy, wh...Italian, a member of the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, traces its origins to Vulgar Latin, the common speech of the Roman Empire. It serves as the official language of Italy, where it emerged as a standardized form based on the Tuscan dialect, particularly that of Florence. Italian is also an official language in Switzerland, specifically in the Ticino region and parts of Graubünden (Grisons), as well as in San Marino and Vatican City.
