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'''French''' (''fr Français, or la langue française'') is a modern European language, a member of the [[Romance language]] family, which like others in this group owes much of its structure to [[Latin]] with some influence from the native languages of the pre-Roman [[Franks]].

'''French''' (''fr Français, or la langue française'') is a modern European language, a member of the [[Romance language]] family, which like others in this group owes much of its structure to [[Latin]] with some influence from the native languages of the pre-Roman [[Franks]].

In medieval times, French had evolved into two groups, a northern branch known as the "Langue d'oïl," and a southerly group known as the "Langue d'Oc."  However, after the political influence of the southerly group was crushed by the [[Albigensian Crusade]], the northerly variety became dominant, and is the ancestor of modern "standard" French (though the southern variety still exists as the [[Occitan language]]).  French is also spoken in many former French colonies in [[West Africa]] and the [[Caribbean]], the Canadian province of [[Québec]], by some people in [[Vietnam]], in [[Mauritius]], in many Pacific Ocean Islands and in other places. In [[Tunisia]], a former French colony, French is still one of the primary languages spoken.  In the US, French is spoken in several communities in northern Maine.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=French_language&action=edit http://www.francomaine.org:  Maine's French Communities]</ref>

In medieval times, French had evolved into two groups, a northern branch known as the "Langue d'oïl," and a southerly group known as the "Langue d'Oc."  However, after the political influence of the southerly group was crushed by the [[Albigensian Crusade]], the northerly variety became dominant, and is the ancestor of modern "standard" French (though the southern variety still exists as the [[Occitan language]]).  French is also spoken in many former French colonies in [[West Africa]] and the [[Caribbean]], the Canadian province of [[Québec]], by some people in [[Vietnam]], in [[Mauritius]], in many Pacific Ocean Islands and in other places. In [[Tunisia]], a former French colony, French is still one of the primary languages spoken.  In the US, French is spoken in several communities in northern Maine.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=French_language&action=edit http://www.francomaine.org:  Maine's French Communities]</ref>