History and evolution of the English Language

• A West Germanic language from Anglo-Saxon dialects, English originated in Britain through Germanic settlers.
• English is the primary language in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and parts of the Caribbean.
• English has developed over 1,400 years.
• Old English refers to West Germanic dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon invaders in the 5th century.
• Middle English started in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England.
• The British Empire spread Late Modern English globally starting in the 17th century.
• American English is the most used language internationally, considering all its variations.
• Worldwide, English is studied as a second language.
• English holds official language status in the European Union, United Nations, and numerous international organizations.
• After Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, English ranks as the third-most-common native language.
• English is the most spoken language in the world.

Historical Development

• Old English evolved from West Germanic dialects like Anglo-Frisian or Ingvaeonic, used by the Anglo-Saxons.
• The Anglo-Saxons migrated to Great Britain in the 5th century AD.
• Norse influenced Old English due to Viking invasions during the 8th and 9th centuries.
• Middle English emerged from Old English around the late 11th century, following the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
• The Norman invasion introduced numerous Norman French loanwords into English.
• English was standardized in the 15th century.
• Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the Tudor dynasty's start and printing press introduction.
• Modern English has spread globally since the 17th century via the British Empire and the United States.

Grammatical Features

• English has transitioned from an inflected to a largely analytic language.
• English has mostly lost its case system.
• Tense is primarily indicated using auxiliary verbs.
• English follows a subject-verb-object order.
• Auxiliary verbs such as "be," "have," and "do" are widely used.
• English has a broad vocabulary, incorporating words from many languages, notably Latin and French.

Vocabulary

• English vocabulary is greatly influenced by other languages, especially Latin and French.
• Old English vocabulary was mainly Germanic.
• The Norman conquest in 1066 brought a large influx of French vocabulary.
• Many words were borrowed from Latin and Greek during the Renaissance.
• English continues to adopt words from other languages, reflecting its global use.

Varieties of English

• Varieties of English include British, American, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand English.
• British English is spoken and written in the United Kingdom.
• American English is spoken and written in the United States.
• Each variety features unique pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
• Standard English is the generally accepted form for formal writing and speech.
• Non-standard dialects coexist with standard varieties.

Phonology

• English phonology varies significantly among dialects.
• The Great Vowel Shift significantly changed English vowel pronunciation, beginning in the 15th century.
• English uses plosives, fricatives, and nasals, among other consonant sounds.
• Stress patterns vary among words and can affect meaning.
• English has a complex vowel sound system, which can be challenging for non-native speakers.

Writing System

• The Latin alphabet is used to write English.
• The English alphabet consists of 26 letters.
• English spelling isn't always phonetic because of historical pronunciation changes.
• Commas, periods, and quotation marks are among the punctuation marks used in English.
• English orthography has been standardized over time, but variations persist.