Why German Is Germanic, Not Romance Like French or Spanish

German is a West Germanic language (like English, Dutch), descending from Proto-Germanic. French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian are Romance languages, evolved from Vulgar Latin. While German borrowed many Latin words (e.g., Kultur, Nation, Philosophie) and some grammatical features via medieval scholarship, its core grammar (cases, gender, verb structure) and basic vocabulary are Germanic. England's language shifted to Romance influence after the Norman Conquest (1066), but German remained on the continent, retaining its Germanic identity despite Latin cultural influence.