See Also

English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 but is now the primary language in numerous countries. It is extensively used as a second language and as an official language in many other countries, is the most widely taught and understood language in the world, and is sometimes described as a lingua franca. An estimated 400–450 million people speak English as their first language. One recent estimate is that 1.9 billion people, nearly a third of the world's population, have a basic proficiency in English ish is a West Germanic language West Germanic languages

The West Germanic languages constitute the largest branch of the Germanic [i] family ... 

 which developed from Old English Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language [i] that was spoken in parts of what is now England [i] ... 

, the language of the Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons is a collective term usually used to describe culturally and linguistically related groups ... 

.

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Timeline

1077   First English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 Cluniac Cluny

The town and commune [i] of Cluny or Clugny lies in the modern-day dpartement [i] ... 

 Benedictine priory established.

1475   First book printed in English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

, by William Caxton William Caxton

William Caxton was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer [i]. ... 

 in Bruges Bruges

Bruges is the historic capital of the province of West Flanders [i], Flanders [i] being one of the three ... 

.

1604   The first known English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 Dictionary Dictionary

A dictionary is a list of words with their definitions, a list of characters with their glyph [i]s, or a ... 

 to be organized by alphabetical Collation

In textual criticism [i] and bibliography [i], collation [i] is the reading of two texts side-by-side i ... 

 ordering was published Publishing

[i] or [[information]... 

.

1702   The first regular English language newspaper Newspaper

A newspaper is a publication [i] containing news and information and advertising, usually printed on low ... 

, ''The Daily Courant Daily Courant

[i] to be published in the [[United Kingdom]... 

''. is published for the first time.

1737   The oldest existing English language newspaper Newspaper

A newspaper is a publication [i] containing news and information and advertising, usually printed on low ... 

 in the world, The (Belfast) News Letter The News Letter

The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland [i]'s main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday ... 

 founded in Ireland Ireland

Ireland is the third largest [i] island [i] in Europe [i]. ... 

.

1777   The code duello is adopted at the Clonmell Summer Assizes as the form for pistol duels in Ireland Ireland

Ireland is the third largest [i] island [i] in Europe [i]. ... 

. It is quickly denounced but nevertheless widely adopted throughout the English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

-speaking world.

1868   Selected parts of the Finnish Finnish language

Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland [i] and by ethnic Finns [i] ... 

 epic, Kalevala Kalevala

[i] compiled from [[Finland|Finnish]... 

 published for the first time in the English Language. By John Addison Porter.

1888   The Finnish Finnish language

Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland [i] and by ethnic Finns [i] ... 

 epic, Kalevala Kalevala

[i] compiled from [[Finland|Finnish]... 

 published for the first time in the English Language. By John Martin Crawford John Martin Crawford (scholar)

John Martin Crawford was an American [i] physician and scholar who translated the Finnish [i] ... 

.

1907   The Finnish Finnish language

Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland [i] and by ethnic Finns [i] ... 

 epic, Kalevala Kalevala

[i] compiled from [[Finland|Finnish]... 

 published for the second time in the English Language. This time by William Forsell Kirby.

1969   French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 is made equal to English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 throughout the Canadian Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 national government.

   More Events >>



Encyclopedia

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 but is now the primary language in numerous countries. It is extensively used as a second language and as an official language in many other countries, is the most widely taught and understood language in the world, and is sometimes described as a lingua franca.

An estimated 400–450 million people speak English as their first language. One recent estimate is that 1.9 billion people, nearly a third of the world's population, have a basic proficiency in English . English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, diplomacy and the Internet Internet

The Internet is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer network [i]s that ... 

. It has been one of the official languages of the United Nations United Nations

name = United Nations
Nations Unies
... 

 since its founding in 1945.

English is a West Germanic language West Germanic languages

The West Germanic languages constitute the largest branch of the Germanic [i] family ... 

 which developed from Old English Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language [i] that was spoken in parts of what is now England [i] ... 

, the language of the Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons is a collective term usually used to describe culturally and linguistically related groups ... 

. As a result of the Norman Conquest Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England was the invasion [i] of the Kingdom of England [i] by William the Conqueror [i] ... 

 and other events in English history History of England

England is the largest and most populous of the constituent countries [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, it has been heavily influenced, more than any other Germanic language Germanic languages

The Germanic languages are a group of related languages constituting a branch of the Indo-European language family [i] ... 

, by French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 and Latin Latin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language [i] originally spoken in Latium [i], ... 

. From England it spread to the rest of the British Isles British Isles

Great Britain [i], Ireland [i] and several thousand smaller surrounding islands [i] and islets [i] form an archipelago [i] ... 

, then to the colonies and territories of the British Empire British Empire

The British Empire was the most extensive empire [i] in world history and for a ... 

  such as the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

, Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

, New Zealand New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean [i] consisting of two large islands and many ... 

, and others, particularly those in the Anglophone Caribbean. As a result of these historical developments English is the official language in many countries formerly under British or American rule, such as Pakistan Pakistan

[i] located in [[South Asia]... 

, Ghana Ghana

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa [i]. ... 

, India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

, Nigeria Nigeria

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country [i] in West Africa [i] and the m ... 

, South Africa South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the Africa [i]n continent [i]. ... 

, Kenya Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa [i]. ... 

, and the Philippines Philippines

The Philippines , officially the Republic of the Philippines , is an island nation [i] located in ... 

.

Mandarin Chinese Standard Mandarin

Standard Mandarin is the official Chinese spoken language [i] used by the People's Republic of China [i] ... 

 and Hindi Hindi

Hindi , an Indo-European language [i] spoken mainly in northern [i] ... 

 have more native speakers than English does; however, the geographic distribution of Mandarin and Hindi, as both first and second languages, is much more limited than that of English. English is also the most widely spoken of the Germanic languages. English was spread to many parts of the world through the expansion of the British Empire British Empire

The British Empire was the most extensive empire [i] in world history and for a ... 

, but it did not acquire a lingua franca status in other parts of the world until the late 20th century. Following World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

 the economic and cultural influence of the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 increased dramatically and English permeated other cultures, chiefly through the development of telecommunications Telecommunication

Telecommunication is the transmission [i] of signals [i] over a distance for the purpose of communication [i] ... 

 technology. Because a working knowledge of English is required in many fields and occupations, education ministries around the world mandate the teaching of English to at least a basic level .

History

English is an Anglo-Frisian language Anglo-Frisian languages

The Anglo-Frisian languages are a group of West Germanic languages [i] consisting of Old English [i] ... 

 brought to southeastern Great Britain Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe [i] and to the east of Ireland [i] ... 

 in the 5th century AD by Germanic settlers Germanic peoples

The Germanic peoples are groups of people identified by their use of the Germanic languages [i] that are ... 

 from various parts of northwest Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

  as well as Denmark Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries [i].... 

 .

The original Old English language Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language [i] that was spoken in parts of what is now England [i] ... 

 was subsequently influenced by two successive waves of invasion. The first was by speakers of languages in the Scandinavian branch North Germanic languages

The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages [i], a sub-fami ... 

 of the Germanic family, who colonised parts of the British Isles in the eighth and ninth centuries. The second wave was of the Normans Normans

The Normans were a people who colonized Normandy [i], conquered England [i], and played a major politic ... 

 in the eleventh century, who spoke Norman Norman language

Norman is a Romance language [i] and one of the Ol languages [i]. ... 

 .

While modern scholarship considers most of the story to be legendary and politically motivated, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reported that around the year 449, Vortigern, a legendary king of the Brython Brython

Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous [i], pre-Roman [i]... 

s, invited the Angles Angles

The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural... 

 to help him against the Picts Picts

he Picts were a confederation [i] of tribes in central and northern Scotland [i] from Roman [i] ... 

 . In return, the Angles were granted lands in the southeast and far north of England England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

. Further aid was sought, and in response came Saxons Saxons

The Saxons or Saxon people are part of the German people [i] with its main areas of settlements i ... 

, Angles, and Jutes Jutes

The Jutes were a Germanic people who are believed to have originated from Jutland [i] in modern Denmark [i] ... 

. The Chronicle talks of a subsequent influx of settlers who eventually established seven kingdoms Heptarchy

Heptarchy is the name applied by historians to the period in English history [i] ... 

.

These Germanic invaders dominated the original Celtic-speaking Celtic languages

The Celtic languages are the language [i]s descended from Proto-Celtic [i], or "Co ... 

 inhabitants, whose languages survive largely in Scotland Scotland

Scotland is a nation [i] in northwest Europe [i] and one of the constituent [i] countries [i] ... 

, Wales Wales

Wales is one of four constituent parts [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, Brittany Brittany

Brittany is a former independent kingdom and duchy, then province of France [i] and... 

, Cornwall Cornwall

Cornwall is a county [i] in South West [i]... 

, and Ireland Ireland

Ireland is the third largest [i] island [i] in Europe [i]. ... 

. The dialects spoken by the invaders dominated what is now modern England and formed what is today called the Old English language Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language [i] that was spoken in parts of what is now England [i] ... 

, which resembled some coastal dialects in what are now northwest Germany and the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

 . Later, it was strongly influenced by the closely related North Germanic North Germanic languages

The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages [i], a sub-fami ... 

 language Old Norse Old Norse

Old Norse is the Germanic language [i] spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia [i] a ... 

, spoken by the Viking Viking

The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen [i] who ... 

s who settled mainly in the northeast and the east coast down to London .

For about 300 years following the Norman Conquest of England Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England was the invasion [i] of the Kingdom of England [i] by William the Conqueror [i] ... 

 in 1066, the Norman kings and the high nobility spoke only Anglo-Norman. A large number of Norman words found their way into Old English, leaving an unusual parallel vocabulary which persists into modern times. The Norman influence strongly affected the evolution of the language over the following centuries, resulting in what is now referred to as Middle English.

During the 15th century 15th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 15th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

, Middle English was transformed by the Great Vowel Shift, the spread of a standardised London-based dialect in government and administration, and the standardising effect of printing. Modern English can be traced back to around the time of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English [i] poet [i] and playwright [i] widely regarded as the great ... 

.

Classification and related languages


The English language belongs to the western sub-branch of the Germanic branch Germanic languages

The Germanic languages are a group of related languages constituting a branch of the Indo-European language family [i] ... 

 which is itself a branch of the Indo-European Indo-European languages

The Indo-European languages comprise a family [i] of several hundred language [i]s and ... 

 family of languages.

The question as to which is the nearest living relative of English is a matter of some discussion. Apart from such English-lexified creole languages such as Tok Pisin and Bislama, Scots Scots language

Scots refers to the Anglic [i] varieties [i] spoken in parts of Scotland [i]. ... 

 — which is spoken primarily in Scotland Scotland

Scotland is a nation [i] in northwest Europe [i] and one of the constituent [i] countries [i] ... 

 and parts of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom [i] and covers 5,459 square miles [i] in the north... 

 — is the Germanic variety most closely associated with English. Like English, Scots ultimately descends from Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon. The closest relative to English after Scots is Frisian Frisian language

Frisian is a Germanic [i] group of closely related languages, spoken by about half a ... 

, which is spoken in the Northern Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

 and Northwest Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

. Other less closely related living West Germanic languages West Germanic languages

The West Germanic languages constitute the largest branch of the Germanic [i] family ... 

 include German German language

German is a West Germanic language [i]. ... 

 itself, Low German Low German

Low German is a name for the regional language [i] varieties of the West Germanic languages [i] spoken m ... 

, Dutch Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic [i] language [i] spoken by around 22 million people, mainly in the Netherlands [i] ... 

 and Afrikaans Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a Low Franconian language [i] mainly spoken in South Africa [i] an ... 

, which is descended from Dutch. The North Germanic languages North Germanic languages

The North Germanic languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages [i], a sub-fami ... 

 and Gothic Gothic language

The Gothic language is an extinct [i] Germanic language [i] that was spoken by the Goths [i] ... 

 are less closely related to English than the West Germanic languages.

Many French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 words are also intelligible to an English speaker because English absorbed a large vocabulary from French, via the Norman Norman language

Norman is a Romance language [i] and one of the Ol languages [i]. ... 

 after the Norman conquest Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England was the invasion [i] of the Kingdom of England [i] by William the Conqueror [i] ... 

 and directly from French in further centuries. As a result, a substantial share of English vocabulary is quite close to French, with some minor spelling differences , as well as occasional divergences in meaning.

Geographical distribution



According to the World Factbook, aided with Aneki, and the Guinness World Records Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 [i] as The Guinness Book of Records is a referenc... 

 English is currently the 2nd most commonly spoken language in the world. It has over 500 million speakers. It is behind only Chinese Chinese language

Chinese is a language [i] that forms part of the Sino-Tibetan family [i] of lan ... 

, which distributes a colossal 1 Billion plus speakers. English is today the third most widely distributed language as a first spoken language in the world, after Mandarin Mandarin (linguistics)

Mandarin, or Beifanghua , or Guanhua , or Mandarin Chinese is a category of related Chinese dialect [i]... 

 and Hindi Hindi

Hindi , an Indo-European language [i] spoken mainly in northern [i] ... 

 . Something around 600 million people use the various dialects of English regularly. About 377 million people use one of the versions of English as their mother tongue, and a similar number of people use one of them as their second or foreign language as well. English is used widely in either the public or private sphere in more than 100 countries all over the world. In addition, the language has occupied a prominent place in international academic and business communities. The current status of the English language at the start of the new millennium compares with that of Latin Latin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language [i] originally spoken in Latium [i], ... 

 in most of Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. English is also the most widely used language for young backpackers who travel across continents, regardless of whether it is their mother tongue or a secondary language.

Although the language is named after England, the United States now has more first-language English speakers than the rest of the world combined. The United Kingdom comes second, with England indeed having as many English speakers as the rest of the world combined . Canada is third, and Australia fourth, with those four comprising 95% of native English speakers. Of those nations where English is spoken as a second language, India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

 has the most such speakers and now has more people who speak or understand English than any other country. India is followed by China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, the Phillipines, Germany and the United States .

English is the primary language in Anguilla Anguilla

Anguilla is a British overseas territory [i] in the Caribbean [i], the mos ... 

, Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation [i] located in the eastern Caribbean Sea [i] on the boundary wit ... 

, Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

 , the Bahamas The Bahamas

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent English [i]-speaking nation in the West Indies [i] ... 

, Barbados Barbados

Barbados is an independent island nation [i] located in the western Atlantic Ocean [i], just to the east ... 

 , Bermuda Bermuda

Bermuda is an overseas territory [i] of the United Kingdom [i] in the North Atlantic Ocean [i]... 

, Belize Belize

Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America [i] on the Caribbean Sea [i] bordered ... 

, the British Indian Ocean Territory British Indian Ocean Territory

The British Indian Ocean Territory is an overseas territory [i] of the United Kingdom [i] ... 

, the British Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory [i], located in the Caribbean [i] to the eas... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 , the Cayman Islands Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are an overseas territory [i] of the United Kingdom [i] in ... 

, Dominica Dominica

Dominica is an island nation [i] in the Caribbean Sea [i]. ... 

, the Falkland Islands Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands, also called the Malvinas, are an archipelago [i] in the South Atlantic Ocean [i] ... 

, Gibraltar Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory [i].... 

, Grenada Grenada

Grenada is an island nation [i] in the southeastern Caribbean Sea [i] including the southern Grenadines [i] ... 

, Guernsey Guernsey

Guatemala [i]'s major diplomatic interests are regional security and, increasingly, regional development and e ... 

, Guyana Guyana

Guyana is located on the northern coast of South America [i], just north of the Equator [i]. ... 

, Isle of Man Isle of Man

The Isle of Man or Mann , is an island [i] located in the Irish Sea [i] at the geographical centr... 

, Jamaica Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation [i] of the Greater Antilles [i], 240 kilometres in length and as much as 85 ... 

 , Jersey Jersey

The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown dependency [i] off the coast of Normandy [i], France [i].... 

, Montserrat Montserrat

[i], located in the [[Leeward Islands]... 

, New Zealand New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean [i] consisting of two large islands and many ... 

 , Ireland Ireland

Ireland is the third largest [i] island [i] in Europe [i]. ... 

 , Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands

The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson [i], Ducie [i]... 

, Saint Helena Saint Helena

Saint Helena is an island of volcanic origin and an overseas territory [i] of ... 

, Saint Lucia Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia is an island nation [i] in the eastern Caribbean Sea [i] on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean [i] ... 

, Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands [i] ... 

, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent sovereign state [i] of the Caribbean [i], havin ... 

, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is an overseas territory [i] of ... 

, Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a country in the southern Caribbean Sea [i], situated 11 kilometre [i]... 

, the Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands are an overseas territory [i] of the United Kingdom [i] consisting of two ... 

, the United Kingdom United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

 , the U.S. Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands are a group of island [i]s in the Caribbean [i] that are an insular area [i] ... 

 and the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 



English is also an important minority language of South Africa South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the Africa [i]n continent [i]. ... 

 , and in several other former colonies Colony

In politics [i] and in history [i], a colony is a territory [i] under the immediate political control of ... 

 or current dependent territories of the United Kingdom and the United States, for example Hong Kong Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is one of the two special administrative regions [i] ... 

, Singapore Singapore

Singapore, formally the Republic of Singapore , is an island [i] city-state [i] and ... 

, Mauritius Mauritius

Mauritius... 

, and the Philippines Philippines

The Philippines , officially the Republic of the Philippines , is an island nation [i] located in ... 

.

In Asia, former British colonies like Hong Kong Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is one of the two special administrative regions [i] ... 

, Singapore Singapore

Singapore, formally the Republic of Singapore , is an island [i] city-state [i] and ... 

 and Malaysia Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation [i] of 13 states [i] in Southeast Asia [i], formed in 1963.
... 

 use English as either an official language or a de facto common language, and it is taught in all private and public schools as a mandatory subject. There is a considerable number of native English speakers in urban areas in both countries. In Hong Kong Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is one of the two special administrative regions [i] ... 

, English is co-official with Chinese Chinese language

Chinese is a language [i] that forms part of the Sino-Tibetan family [i] of lan ... 

, and is widely used in business activities. It is taught from infant school and kindergarten Kindergarten

Kindergarten is used in many parts of the world for the first stages of a child's classroom education [i] ... 

, and is the medium of instruction for a few primary schools Primary education

Primary or elementary education consists of the first years of formal, structured education [i] th ... 

, many secondary schools Secondary education

In most contemporary educational system [i]s of the world, secondary education is a stage of formal education [i] ... 

 and all universities University

[i], which grants [[academic degree]... 

. Substantial numbers of students reach native-speaker fluency. It is so widely used that it is inadequate to say that it is merely a second or foreign language, though there is still a percentage of people in Hong Kong with poor or little command of English.

The majority of English native speakers live in the United States . Although the U.S. Federal government Federal government of the United States

The government [i] of the United States of America [i], established by the U.S. Constitution [i]... 

 has no official languages, English has been given official status by 27 of the 50 state governments, all but three of which have declared English their sole official language.

In many other countries, where English is not a first language, it is an official language; these countries include Belize Belize

Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America [i] on the Caribbean Sea [i] bordered ... 

, Cameroon Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a unitary republic [i] of central Africa [i]. ... 

, Fiji Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands, is an island nation [i] in the South Pacific Ocean [i] ... 

, the Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia

Micronesia, officially the Federated States of Micronesia, is an island nation [i] located in the ... 

, Ghana Ghana

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa [i]. ... 

, Gambia The Gambia

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country [i] in Western Africa [i] ... 

, India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

, Kiribati Kiribati

Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation [i] located in the central trop ... 

, Lesotho Lesotho

Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a land-locked country [i], entirely s ... 

, Liberia Liberia

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa [i], bordere ... 

, Kenya Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa [i]. ... 

, Namibia Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa [i] on the Atlantic [i] ... 

, Nigeria Nigeria

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country [i] in West Africa [i] and the m ... 

, Malta Malta

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a small and densely populated island nation [i] consis ... 

, the Marshall Islands Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands , is a Micronesian [i] ... 

, Pakistan Pakistan

[i] located in [[South Asia]... 

, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country ... 

, the Philippines Philippines

The Philippines , officially the Republic of the Philippines , is an island nation [i] located in ... 

, Rwanda Rwanda

Rwanda , officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a small landlocked [i] country in the Great Lakes region [i] ... 

, the Solomon Islands Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is a nation in Melanesia [i], east of Papua New Guinea [i], consisting of nearly one ... 

, Samoa Samoa

Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa, is a country comprising a group of islands [i] ... 

, Sierra Leone Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa [i]. ... 

, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is a tropical [i] island nation [i] ... 

, Swaziland Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small, landlocked [i] country in Southern Africa [i] , situated on the eas... 

, Tanzania Tanzania

Tanzania , officially the United Republic of Tanzania , is a country on the east coast of Africa [i] ... 

, Zambia Zambia

Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in southern Africa [i]. ... 

 and Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, and formerly known as the Republic of Rhodesia'... 

.

English is the most widely learned and used foreign language, and as such, some linguists believe that it is no longer the exclusive cultural sign of 'native English speakers', but is rather a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it continues to grow. Others believe there are limits to how well English can go in suiting everyone for communication purposes. English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union European Union

The European Union is an intergovernmental [i] and supranational [i] ... 

 , followed by French , German , and Spanish . It is also the most studied in China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, South Korea South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is an East Asia [i]n state [i] on the southern half ... 

 and Taiwan Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia [i], but the term "Taiwan" is also commonly used to collectively refer ... 

. English is also compulsory for most secondary school High school

High school or secondary school is the name used for the last segment of compulsory secondary education [i] ... 

 students in China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 and Taiwan Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia [i], but the term "Taiwan" is also commonly used to collectively refer ... 

. See English as an additional language.

English as a global language


See also: English on the Internet and global language


Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "global language", the lingua franca of the modern era. While English is not an official language in many countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a second language around the world. It is also, by international treaty, the official language for aircraft/airport and maritime communication, as well as being one of the official languages of both the European Union European Union

The European Union is an intergovernmental [i] and supranational [i] ... 

 and the United Nations United Nations

name = United Nations
Nations Unies
... 

, and of most international athletic organizations, including the Olympic Committee. Books, magazines, and newspapers written in English are available in many countries around the world. English is also the most commonly used language in the sciences. In 1997, the Science Citation Index reported that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries.

Dialects and regional varieties 


The influence of the British Empire, and Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the primacy of the United States, especially since WWII, has spread English throughout the globe. Because of that global spread, English has developed a host of English dialects and English-based creole languages and pidgins.

The major varieties of English each include, in most cases, several subvarieties, such as Cockney slang within British English British English

British English is a term used to distinguish the form of the English language [i] used in the British Isles [i] ... 

, Newfoundland English Newfoundland English

Newfoundland English is a name for several dialect [i]s of English [i] found in the pro ... 

, and the English spoken by Anglo-Québecers within Canadian English, and African American Vernacular English  and Southern English within American English American English

American English is the dialect [i] of the English language [i] used mostly in the United States of America [i] ... 

. English is a pluricentric language, without a central language authority like France's Académie française Académie française

The Acadmie franaise, or French Academy, is the pre-eminent French [i] learned body on matt ... 

; and although no variety is clearly considered the only standard, there are a number of accents considered as more formal, such as Received Pronunciation in Britain or the Boston Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the capital [i] of the Commonwealth [i] of Massachusetts [i] in the United States [i] ... 

ian dialect in the U.S.

Scots Scots language

Scots refers to the Anglic [i] va