Translations and Other Language Solutions in English Language

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The origins of modern English can be traced back to the 7th century AD when three Germanic tribes arrived in the British Isles – Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, which together created the Anglo-Saxon tribes in the 7^th–8^th centuries by mixing with the local inhabitants of the Isles – Celts, Picts, and Scots.

The English language can be categorised into three time periods:

1. Old English or Anglo-Saxon (8^th–11th centuries)
2. Middle English (12^th–16th centuries)
3. Modern English (from 16^th century to now)

English is a West-Germanic language of the Indo-European language family.

There are several English variants in the world that differ from each other in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar: Australian English, British English, Canadian English, etc.

Each English variant has multiple dialects. For example, the main British English dialects are the South English dialect, Middle English dialect, North English dialect, as well as the Irish dialect, Scottish dialect, Welsh dialect, etc.

Undeniably English is the most popular language in the world. Its ancient history, rich vocabulary, literature, and universities are only a few of the reasons that make English so special. And there are many aspects that make this language such an interesting and unique embodiment of English culture and traditions. Some of them make us smile and seem peculiar. But even the strangest fact related to this beautiful language will be said with a royal accent!

THE ENGLISH ALPHABET

English is exceptionally difficult to learn. The language has complex grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, which confuses even the native speakers. English has an abundance of idioms and metaphors. For example, the phrase she kicked the bucket would literally mean someone kicking a bucket with their feet, but in everyday speech, the meaning is completely different – the phrase means ‘she died’. There could be thousands of similar examples and sometimes they are even puzzling to native English speakers, let alone to those who are learning it as a foreign language. There are many English words whose origins seem irrational, sometimes even hilarious, for example, the word pineapple. In literal meaning, this word consists of two words – pine and apple. But what does it have to do with the object itself? The pronunciation is difficult as well since it does not match the spelling. Consonants or combinations of vowels can be pronounced differently based on the placement in a word. There are a lot of homonyms in English. Native English speakers usually know which meaning the speaker intended, but it might cause misunderstandings for a learner. Each level of English knowledge requires at least 120 studying hours, but they basically take up 200 hours. Therefore, 1200 studying hours are required to reach an advanced level.

English is the most common language in the world and is used as an international communication language in all parts of the world. It is estimated that the number of English speakers has increased to two billion. It is the native language for around 400 million people, and English is the official language in 54 world countries and 24 territories. English is one of the official languages in many of these countries and territories, but in some countries, most of the population does not understand English even if it is the official language. There are also countries where English is the dominant language even though it does not have an official status, for example, in Australia. Most English speakers live in the USA, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The five largest countries by the number of native English speakers are the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. English is also the native language of many Irish citizens. English as a second language is most often used in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden.