The closest language to English that is still used today is Many other people came to England later at different times, speaking different languages, and these languages added more words to make today's English. English language, a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family that is closely related to Frisian, German, and Dutch languages. Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages.



These words come mostly from Greek, but are translated into the Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.



Map showing the use of English as a first language, as an important second language, and as an official language in countries around the world.Map showing the use of the English language as a national, primary, or widely spoken language in countries around the world.Approximate locations of Indo-European languages in contemporary Eurasia. Also, besides the simple vocabulary, there are expressions and typical short phrases, many of which are of Germanic origin. Pre-Intermediate. It is also called the Waystage level. Britannica Premium: Serving the evolving needs of knowledge seekers. For over 20 years, Dictionary.com has been helping millions of people improve their use of the English language with its free digital services. Many states, however, have passed legislation that designates English as their official language.

English is the language of global business and continues to become increasingly important in the global market. In the However, in the most common words, the amount of Germanic origin words is much higher. English is a West Germanic language.It was first spoken in Anglo-Saxon England in the early Middle Ages.It is spoken in many countries around the world. If the status is Proofing …

By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. In addition to the simplicity of inflections, English has two other basic characteristics: flexibility of function and openness of vocabulary.Flexibility of function has grown over the last five centuries as a consequence of the loss of Openness of vocabulary implies both free admission of words from other English possesses a system of orthography that does not always accurately reflect the pronunciation of words; Download and install additional languages to view menus, dialog boxes, and other user interface items in your preferred language.



The term "English" is derived from Anglisc, the speech of the Angles—one of the three Germanic tribes that invaded England during the fifth century. Author of Anglophone countries include the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and a number of Caribbean nations.

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This is level A2 on the European scale.





The country does not have an official language on the federal level. Virtually any topic for the virtual learner. The English language is the primary language of several countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many of its former colonies, and the United States, and the second language in a number of multilingual … Bains Professor of English Language and Philology, University of Liverpool, 1945–65.

Get 30% your subscription today. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.As of 2020 there are 1.27 billion English speakers around the world. This makes it the most spoken language, ahead of Mandarin There has been much public and academic debate on whether Having emerged from the dialects and vocabulary of Germanic peoples—English is not the official language of the United States of America.