Proto-Germanic is the reconstructed ancestor of the Germanic languages, which include modern languages like English, German, and Dutch. It is believed to have been spoken around 500 BCE to 500 CE in parts of Northern Europe. Linguists use comparative methods to study its vocabulary, grammar, and phonetics, piecing together its features from later Germanic languages. The language is part of the larger Indo-European family, which includes many other languages spoken across Europe and Asia. Proto-Germanic is significant for understanding the development of the Germanic languages and the cultural history of the peoples who spoke them.