English
ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ
adjective/noun
Origin
Old English
Engle — The Angles (a Germanic tribe)
Overview
Meaning Now
- Of or relating to England, its people, or its language.
- The West Germanic language originally spoken in England, now a global lingua franca.
Literal older meaning
of the Angles
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
Englisc
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The term derives from the Angles (Lat. Angli), one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to Britain from the Jutland peninsula in the 5th century. Over time, 'Englisc' came to encompass all Germanic settlers in Britain, eventually naming the language itself.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*angilōz
“People from the narrow place (possibly Angeln)”
Tribal name of the Angles
- Old English
Englisc
“Of the Angles”
Adjectival formation with -isc suffix
- Middle English
Englysch
“The language or people of England”
Loss of initial vowel stress and phonological shift
- Modern English
English
“Global language and nationality”
Standardized spelling
Connections
Word parts
Engl
root
The Angle tribe
ish
suffix
associated with or originating from
Related across languages
German
englisch
English
Dutch
Engels
English
Related words
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Related to English
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.