意大利语族是印欧语系下的一族，属于颚音类语言。由其下的通俗拉丁语衍生出罗曼语族。

从原始印欧语到原始意大利语的规则语音变化的部分列表：

在个别意大利语的演化中出现了进一步变化，比如在元音之间 f > b 和在拉丁语中 θ > f。

不规则变化包括 p > kʷ 比如拉丁语的 quinque“five”中，它来自 PIE *penkʷe 的，和拉丁语的 coquere“to cook”，它来自 PIE *pekʷ-。

The Italic languages are a subfamily of the Indo-European language family, originally spoken by Italic peoples. They include Latin, the Romance languages, which are descended from Latin, and a number of extinct languages of the Italian Peninsula, including Umbrian, Oscan, Faliscan, South Picene. At present, Latin and its daughter Romance languages are the only surviving languages of the Italic language family.