<human>:  What is the history of the French language?
<bot>: The French language is a Romance language that developed from Vulgar Latin in the Middle Ages. It descended from the spoken Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French has evolved from Gallo-Romance, the spoken Latin in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. It has also been influenced by Frankish, the Germanic language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. During the Middle Ages, French was influenced by the native languages of the Northern Europe, particularly the various Germanic dialects. With the onset of the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery, French began to spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas and portions of East and West Africa. During the seventeenth century French became the official language of the French, replacing Latin as the academic and legal language of France. By the end of the eighteenth century, French had become the international language of diplomacy, given its usage in the courts of Versailles and the royal family. Today French is the official language of more than 29 countries which is the second-most spoken language in the world.