Do You Know These Interesting Facts About English?

If you are thinking about learning English, it is always better to know a little about the origin and history of the English language you are learning. Here, Cafe Converse, Delhi’s top Institute for Learning Spoken English, offers up some interesting English language facts.

English emanates from North West Germany and the Netherlands

English has its origins in Anglo-Norman, Old High German, and Old Norse. Modern English began being used around the 14^th century and the nearest languages to English are Dutch and West Flemish.

Most English grammar and spelling follow standardized rules

Dr.Johnson’s Dictionary of 1755  states the rules pertaining to English grammar and spelling. This dictionary was the first to exclusively document the English lexicon and is one of the most renowned dictionaries in history, taking more than 8 years to get compiled.

English is spoken by nearly 1.5 billions people around the world

Approximately, 400 million people use it as their first language. While more than 1 billion people speak it as a secondary language,It is an official language in 67 countries and 27 non-sovereign countries like Hong Kong.

English is the language of the sky

All pilots should identify themselves in English while on international flights. Likewise, all air traffic controllers at international airports should be capable to communicate with the pilots in English.

“Good” is the most used adjective in English

The most commonly used noun in the English Language is ‘time’, and the most mispronounced (and mostly misspelled) word in the English language is ‘Pronunciation’. Apart from this, ’good’ is the most used adjective.

William Shakespeare had a great impact on the English language

William Shakespeare was an all-time great English poet, playwright, and actor. Above all, he introduced several thousands of words and phrases into the English language.

The longest word used in the English language contains 45 letters

The 45-letter word, ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’, refers to a lung disease that happened due to inhalation of fine silica dust. The second longest word used in the English language dictionary is ‘Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia’, which eventually, means the fear of long words.

Certain English words are formed by mixing two words together

For example, ‘Hangry’ is a word in the English dictionary that mixes two words together. The word combines ‘hungry’ and ‘angry’, describing the feeling of being irritated as an outcome of hunger. Hangry was added to the Oxford English Dictionary during the year 2018 in January.

Are you looking to learn and master English? These English language facts will help you on your path to starting learning English. For more information on any of our English language courses, or simply general advice on language learning, please contact Cafe Converse or call us on +91 98100 76785. Our experts will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

Happy Learning !!