Abstract
English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon migrants from what is now northwest Germany, west Denmark and the Netherlands. The language has undergone major changes and developments in its pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and orthography throughout its over 1500 year history. This article provides an overview of the key influences and developments that have shaped the English language into its present global form. It examines the linguistic influences of Celtic, Norse, French, Latin, Greek and other languages on English. It also explores the impact of historical events, the growth of literacy, the invention of the printing press, dictionary compilation and standardized spelling on the development of English. The analysis shows that English has an unparalleled capacity to absorb, adapt and incorporate words and features from other languages. Through the early spread of English around the British Isles, and later via 19th and 20th century colonization and globalization, English has become the most widely spoken language worldwide with over 1.35 billion speakers.
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