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The French are extremely passionate when they speak. They are also passionate about their language, both spoken and written. French evolved from Latin and was originally comprised of a multitude of spoken dialects, notably the dialect of the North, called the langue d’oïl,and that of the south, called the langue d’oc. During the Capetian monarchy (1224-1328), the langue d’oïl became the standard for French. The language remained an oral one with Latin used for all written communication until the 16th century. With the edict of Villers-Cotterêts (1539), French became the mandated official language for all communication in France.