English is a language that almost everyone speaks and that you encounter all over the world. It also has a rich history preceding it. For example, the language originated when Anglo-Saxon tribes came from Europe to the British Isles in 400 AD. Today, English has about 1.6 billion speakers, who have access to more than 750,000 words. But how did the language develop into the multifaceted language it is today?
The origins of the English language
English evolved from the Germanic languages that the English used to speak in Britain. The arrival of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in the British Isles caused the original Celtic inhabitants to be driven out to Scotland and Wales. The languages of these tribes intermingled and developed into Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. The language was subject to many outside influences. For example, the Vikings brought Danish and Norwegian with them around 800. By the way, did you know that the word England comes from Angelen-land?
Development over time
If you start looking at the development of the language you can divide it into three periods. First, between 400 and 1100, there was Old English, which formed a strong foundation for present-day English. Words like "be," "water" and "strong" stem from this stage of the language's development.
Through the blending of Old English and Old Norse of the Vikings, the English language expanded to include some two thousand new phrases. Consider, for example, such familiar terms as "knife," "egg," "run," and "husband. During the period of Middle English from 1100 to 1500, French also left its mark on the language, due to Viking interference. Consequently, you will find many French and Latin words, such as "fruit," "people" and "liberty.
Finally, Modern English made its appearance beginning in 1500, and the poet and stage actor William Shakespeare had a great influence on the language during this time. He coined as many as 1,700 new words that were added to English, including "puppy dog," "fashionable" and "alligator.
Contemporary English
You can describe English as a Germanic language with many Romance influences. The language contains a huge vocabulary and you will frequently come across different words with the same meaning. As a matter of fact, you can see that the Germanic is found more in the everyday language and the French or Latin influence is found more in the written language. It is worth mentioning here that about 30% of contemporary English comes from French.
English as a world language
Seafarers, traders, soldiers, pilgrims and missionaries caused the language to spread worldwide over the years. Today, English is the official language in 58 countries and 23 territories. Countries that have English as an official language include Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand and Pakistan. You also find it widely used in business, administrative language and education. Even in aviation, pilots and air traffic controllers have been required to master English at a professional level since 2008. English can therefore rightly call itself a true world language!
English and Dutch
The Netherlands has also made a small contribution to the English language. One can think mainly of words from shipping, such as brandy and dyke. But also waffle, yacht, cookie and Santa Claus are part of the English language. Finally, Frisian is also said to be the closest language family to English.
English as the merriest language
To conclude with a fun fact: English is in the top three happiest languages in the world, along with Spanish and Portuguese. The study looked at the ratio of usage of both positive and negative expressions. The study found that the word happy, for example, is used three times more than the word sad!
English as a second language?
Did you get excited about the English language after reading the article? We don't think that's crazy! Many people and especially in the Netherlands have an excellent command of the English language. Would you like to master the English language well as a second language? Our day camps offer this solution. During a day camp, attention is paid to English culture, cities celebrities and the language. The whole program takes place in English. Is that scary? Of course not, because you are not alone. Everyone in the day program is there to brush up on his or her English. Together with others, you will brush up on your knowledge of the English language and speak better English after coming to Summercamp.
