interesting facts about english vocabulary

The English language is fun to learn. Most English words come from French or Old English (use this to your advantage!).. Weighing in at 45 letters this word is the name for a form of lung disease that’s caused by the inhalation of ash and dust and, given that it’s a medical term, hails from the now defunct language of Latin. German words can have three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Click here to get a copy. For example, the word dialogue uses each letter once. 26. In addition, at the height of its history, the British Empire, covered more than one quarter of the Earth’s population. Just some of the fantastic words and phrases invented by this famous poet include: Addiction — Being psychologically or physically dependent on something, usually a drug. The English language is also full of words with strange meanings. A great example is the word “SWIMS” with all capitalized letters. Germanic languages – inherited from Old English, from Proto-Germanic, or a more recent borrowing from a Germanic language such as Old Norse; does not include Germanic words borrowed from a Romance language, i.e., coming from the Germanic element in French, Latin or other Romance langua… Ever heard the term couch potato (someone who watches a lot of TV)? (Of blossom or a tree) form into or produce (fruit). Ever since Susan started her online company, she’s been such a mouse potato. Langue d'oïl (French): 29.3% 2. Your puppy is so adorable that I have cute aggression! English is the most spoken language in the world after Chinese. Editors from the Oxford English Dictionary have estimated that about 4,000 new words are added to the dictionary every year. There are new words added every year, and definitions constantly change. “Cute aggression” is the term for wanting to hug something cute very hard—almost violently. Just consider international words like internet and iPhone. Everyone has a different best way to remember things. In English, the pronunciation … English used to have grammatical gender, but doesn’t anymore. Person received second place, followed by year in the third spot. Essentially, this was when England controlled large portions of Europe, North America, Africa and the West Indies. You can’t entirely blame weird spelling on just one person—especially not with English’s long and complicated history—but there are a few folks who made some huge differences. Shakespeare added over 1,000 words to the English language.. An average of 1,000 new words are added to the dictionaryevery year and some words and definitions are revised. 2. Harden into a solid or semi-solid state. (Of a tide or current) take or have a specified direction or course. English is the most extensively spoken language in the world and is more commonly spoken and written than any other language. To find out which letters were added and omitted, take a look at this New York Post article. In your learnings you may well have been frustrated at the many ways in which the sound ‘ee’ can be spelt. While there are many reasons, here are some of the biggest. America is made up of people from many diverse backgrounds who speak lots of wonderful languages! A person needs to know 8,000-9,000 word families to enjoy reading a book. This is Part 2 of this series with 8 new facts about the English language. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 2 words for each letter in the alphabet. It leaves out the pronoun “you.” Technically, it would be “You go!” which is two letters longer than “I am.”. An isogram is a word or phrase in which each letter appears the same number of times. The second big English boost occurred with the rise of the U.S. in the 20th century, when the country became one of the biggest international players in social, economic and political affairs. The industrial revolution and technology, ended up creating the need for new words. If you can consider whether an English word has a French or Germanic root, it just may help you know when to use it! Interesting Facts about English Language. ★ Of all the words in the English language, the word ' set ' has the most definitions! 9. Nearly 60% of the vocabulary in the English language comes from Latin and Neo-Latin languages (mainly French): 1. (Of the sun, moon, or another celestial body) appear to move towards and below the earths horizon as the earth rotates. William the Conqueror came to E… These two factors resulted in Late Modern English having so many more words. I’m sure you’ve already noticed how some English words are spelled completely differently than they sound. That’s 20 percent of the world’s population! This means that English is the official language of airplane travel. Latin, including modern scientific and technical Latin: 28.7% 3. At one point during the evolution of the english language, "girl" meant child, or young person, rather than indicating a specific gender. Unfortunately for learners, this convoluted spelling system is something you’ll just have to find creative ways to master (here are some ideas to get you started). A native English speaking person knows between 10,000 (uneducated) to 20,000 (educated) word families. 4. 6. But since 1066, most of the words included in the English language have roots in Latin. Cold-blooded — Either an animal with cold blood (like a reptile) or a way to describe someone who’s cruel and indifferent to emotion. Nevertheless, it isn’t all bad. Fun, Amazing & Interesting Facts about English Language. In 100 words commonly used in English, 96 of them are of Germanic origin. From difficult spelling, to words that describe the intense feeling you get when you see a cute kitten, every aspect of English has its own story. To help you with this task, we have compiled a list of thirty fun and interesting facts … Thanks for subscribing! The Oxford EnglishDictionaryis updated 4 times every year: March, June,September, and December. 24.There are 24 different dialects of English in the US. English is the Most Commonly Used Language in the Sciences SCOPUS, the world’s … However it seems that irony is no stranger to English vocabulary either, as the most mispronounced word is (wait for it…) pronunciation! Check out more of the oldest words at Dictionary.com. These are different from the gendered pronouns “he/him” (masculine) and “she/her” (feminine). There are currently about an estimated one million words in the English language. 10. One minute, you’re happily immersed in an incredible English novel. Put or bring into a specified state. Welcome to ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans, activities, etc. 22 Interesting Facts about English worksheet Want to impress your fellow learners? You can imagine how English would’ve spread globally with such an enormous empire. © 2021 Enux Education Limited. Many of these words date back from before the year 900. 5 fascinating facts about English vocabulary, Ten ways to boost your English language skills. The 16 Best Online Games to Practice English. Being such a common and vast language, there is always a scope of learning a new fact or two about it every day. Ever noticed that no matter where you’re flying in the world, your pilot and flight attendants always know English? We will always treat your personal information with the utmost care and will never share personal data with other companies for marketing purposes. Genderlect is a style or type of speech used by a specific gender. The Latin alphabet originally comes from the Etruscan alphabet. The words are fun to say and have a cool meaning. Here are interesting facts about words and sentences to initiate non-English speakers on the quirks of the language. About 1,000 new words are added to the dictionary each year. It also requires…. English is a language rich in vocabulary, but some words may surprise you—and may be just what you were looking for! A non-elliptical sentence is a sentence that doesn’t leave anything out. Some of us learn better when things are being explained to us verbally, others by reading, or you might find that…, It’s a well-known fact that the English language serves as one of the most difficult to master of all – and given that you’re here, reading this, means that…, Different ways to approach language learning Learning a language is more than sitting in a classroom and trying to absorb all the information from the teacher. No academy guides the English language, unlike the Real Academia Española for Spanish and L’Académie française for French. – Source. 52 Interesting Words to Know. can take anywhere. English is the official language of 67 countries. 1) Need to buy a vowel? Native English speakers would only use it in more formal settings. Break the ice — To relieve the tension or silence in a conversation by talking. The English alphabet has actually gotten smaller over the years! English has a fascinating history full of interesting facts that might come in handy on an upcoming trivia night or, at the very least, provide a new perspective on a language we speak and write constantly, but often take for granted. It has 17 letters in it, and it’s the medical name for the layer of skin beneath the fingertips. Of course, different sources come up with different answers for this, but “good” is usually listed among the most common adjectives. Many languages have “grammatical gender.” For example, Spanish speakers use the gender articles el and la (the) depending on whether a noun is masculine or feminine. (Download). Bumblebees were nicknamed foggy-toddlers in 18th century England. It happens to be the most widely used alphabet in the world, which is a great help to many English learners! Today, native English speakers still use these words in everyday speech. Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. There are numerous other facts about Hindi that most of you wouldn’t know.  I love the petrichor of a summer thunderstorm. 4. 1. The next minute, you’re throwing your textbook at the wall thanks to some horribly confusing grammar topic. Frisian is a language currently spoken in just three small areas of Germany and the Netherlands. The Oxford English Dictionary has identified time as the most frequently used noun. 12 Interesting Facts About English Language English is the third most commonly spoken language in the world, the first and second being Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Explore its stunning kaleidoscope of meaning with fun English language facts. 1. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos. Our 12 Favorite Language Facts From Around The World 1) There are 2,700 languages with over 7,000 individual dialects spoken around the world today. The most common consonant in English is "r", followed by "t". That means if you visit or move to the U.S., you can find many other non-native speakers just like yourself. While English is the most common language spoken in the U.S., it’s by no means the only one. Camille Turner is an experienced freelance writer and ESL teacher. The words “bookkeeper” and “bookkeeping” are the only words in the English language that has three consecutive double letters without needing a hyphen. 5. Webster was a dictionary publisher who was largely responsible for American spelling differing from British spelling. However, with so many different regional dialects, this produced many inconsistencies. Makes total sense, actually. On the other hand, begin is a more casual word that native speakers use frequently. The book “Gender Shifts in the History of English” explains how English lost its grammatical gender system over time. But did you know that the English language itself wouldn’t be the same without Shakespeare? During the Middle Ages, scribes (people who write documents) tried their best to copy down words as they sounded. Start (a fire). Old English language, language spoken and written in England before 1100; it is the ancestor of Middle English and Modern English. While this statistic from Twinword still seems daunting, it should be a comfort to learners that you’re not going to have to memorize all of the million English words out there. Every syllable in English must have a vowel (sound). Slightly easier to guess the meaning of is the word ‘uncopyrightable’, which has 15 letters without any being repeated, and refers to something that can’t be copyrighted or owned. FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Can you guess which word comes from French and which one comes from Old English? Read on for other interesting facts about the language that brings us all together. The English language embodies paradox, politics, commercialism, & history. Set is a word that boasts more differing definitions than any other, meaning: Let’s explore some interesting facts about Hindi: image: uni.edu. Syllable Count gives it the number one spot on their list, while Word Frequency Data places it below a few adjectives such as other and new. To see some of the other interesting sayings and words Shakespeare invented, check out these articles from Mental Floss and The Intrepid Guide, as well as this great article from Open Culture. Well, mouse potato refers to someone who works on the computer a lot. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, French became the language used by the nobility in Britain. Here is a very simple sentence which uses every letter of the alphabet ,it is 'The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog ' ! The most common vowel in English is "e", followed by "a". This is why! The English language is as fascinating as it is popular and obviously has its own history and quirks. The words that came from French are often considered more formal or sophisticated, while words that came from Old English are more informal. 1. An ambigram is a word that looks the same upside down as right-side up. 52 words that make you sound smart when you use them.These words are great vocabulary builders. Instead of only focusing on grammar and other theoretical aspects, don’t forget to enjoy its more entertaining side. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you Sign up for our Newsletter. French became the language used by the nobility, some states have declared English their official language. Swagger — To walk in a way that shows you’re boasting or disrespectful. For full details please see our. The most common letter in the English language is “e.” 2) Speaking of Shakespeare, he added a lot of words to the English language. For example, the command “Go!” may seem like the shortest sentence, but it’s elliptical. Then there’s William Caxton, a famous Englishman who started a printing press. Learn 10 interesting facts about the English language in this video lesson. Petrichor is a word to describe the way it smells after it rains. Snollygoster refers to a person without principles. Boffola is a joke that’s met with extremely loud laughter. There’s always something fascinating and new to learn. 8. Practice this technique with FluentU, an immersive app that teaches you English with real-world videos (like movie trailers, music videos, inspiring speeches and more). English words for livestock (cow, sheep, chicken) are Germanic-based and the words for meats (beef, mutton, poultry) are French-based. Bedazzled — Blinded by something incredibly wonderful. A palindrome is a word or phrase that’s spelled the same whether you read left-to-right (like normal) or right-to-left. You might also hear this referred to as reduplication. From love sonnets to plays like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet,” Shakespeare has greatly influenced English literature. With more than 100,000 word-families in the English language (as well as a staggering 1,025,109 English words in existence [Oxford Dictionaries]), learning English vocabulary is no easy task. Some of them might surprise you! 2. This is because the people who raised the animals were Anglo-Saxon peasants and the people who ate them were Norman aristocrats. Apprenez 10 faits interessants au sujet de la langue anglaise. The common English word so-so is the perfect example of a tautonym. Every video comes with interactive captions, flashcards and fun quizzes, so you actively learn while hearing English the way native speakers really use it. Interesting Facts about English The most common letter in English is "e". Adjust (a clock or watch), typically to show the right time. Shakespeare Added Over a Thousand New Words to the English Language We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Sign up for our weekly blog newsletter for a chance to win a free FluentU Plus subscription (value $240), Get regular language learning tips, resources and updates, starting with the "Complete Guide to Foreign Language Immersion" e-book. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Whether or not men and women speak different genderlects is a subject of recent debate. Any number with a series of repeating digits, like 7777, is called a “repdigit.”. As the following facts show, you might well be learning the most intriguing language of them all when it comes to vocabulary. It actually may make it easier for learners that the English language doesn’t have these gender rules today. So, in honor of UN English Language Day and the Bard, here are 12 fun facts about the English language. The word begin comes from the (now unused) Germanic word beginnan, which also meant “to start.”. Almost everyone in the world has heard of the great... 2. I get it. English is a beautiful, complicated, fun and infuriating language all at once. Remarkable English History Facts 1. For example, hangry means hungry and angry. ‘Subdermatoglyphic’ is the longest English word that can be written without repeating any letters. That was the comedian’s best boffola all night! Download: 25.The word ‘lol’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. Learn more about the Old English language in this article. ★ "Forty" is the only number which has its letters in alphabetical order. English is the first language in: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Ireland, many Caribbean Islands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United … A Few Fun English Vocabulary Facts There are roughly 100,000 word families in the English language. Then get to grips with the word above – which serves as the longest word of all. 7. (Shakespeare is sometimes referred to as “The Bard.”). That means a new word about every two hours! A very famous English pangram is: “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.”. Now that you know all about the English language, it’s time to get back to learning the language itself! In fact, we actually have a higher population of English speakers than the United Kingdom itself! Interesting Facts about English Language Do you know word 'alphabet' comes from first two letters Greek alphabet - alpha and beta ? Great in terms of size - the current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains 615,000 entries.Great in terms of scope -- it's an official language in seventy-nine countries and territories. 23.90% of English text consists of just 1000 words. My friend is so excited that ze is coming to the party later. With so many languages bouncing around the globe, you would be forgiven for thinking English is just one of many. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions. Other than English, French is the only language taught in every country. It means “just okay; fine.”. You only have to memorize a word’s meaning, not its gender! Shakespeare invented over 1,000 words, which he incorporated into his writing. Eventually, inter-marriage brought about a mixing of the two languages, and Middle English—which is much closer to today’s English—was born. He hired Flemish workers who simply spelled some words according to what they were used to. For example, you could use it while discussing business affairs: “The marketing team commenced work on the project.”. Here’s Shakespeare again! Chinese, the most spoken language around the world, has over 50,000 characters. Phonetic script. The British Empire refers to the period between roughly the late 15th to 17th century and the 1960s, when England had vast territories and colonies all over the world. 22.More people in the world have learned English as a second language than there are native English speakers. Unlike the old English and Middle English languages, the main differences between Early and Late Modern English languages, is mostly vocabulary. So, after almost 3,000 tweets, here to mark our first anniversary are 100 random facts about the English language, English words, and English etymology taken from our first year online. Lastly, many of the recent technological and scientific advancements have come from English-speaking countries. contact@daytranslations.com Call Us 1-800-969-6853 They include I, love, black, mother, fire, hand and hear. The English language has an interesting history. A portmanteau is a word that blends the sounds of two English words to make a new word that combines their meanings. To put it in perspective, “E” is 56 times more common than “Q.”. "One" is the only number with its letters in reverse alphabetical order. All Rights Reserved. FluentU brings English to life with real-world videos. The most widely spoken languages are Chinese, Spanish, English, and Hindi, in that order. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. The professor applied a heuristic teaching method so that her students would learn by trial and error. Commence is basically the same word that the French currently use: commencer (to start). , Amazing & interesting facts about English vocabulary, but some words definitions. Most English words to the U.S., you can find many other non-native speakers just like yourself how would! Language, the main differences between Early and Late Modern English portions of Europe, america. And should be left unchanged “ the quick brown fox jumps over a new... These are different from the Etruscan alphabet in honor of UN English language in this video lesson Oxford updated. Throwing your textbook at the many ways in which each letter once being such a popular language worldwide.., this history can help you figure out when to use Old English, French is the language... Learnings you may wonder why English is `` e '', followed by in. Differences between Early and Late Modern English languages, and contains seven varying ways of spelling out this sound... Was when England controlled large portions of Europe, north america, Africa and the Netherlands updated times... Contains seven varying ways of spelling out this tricky sound following 10 entries look at this new post! Including Modern scientific and technical Latin: 28.7 % 3 from Old English language teachers exchange resources:,. Are 12 fun facts about the English language that brings US all together, native English speaking person between. With its letters in alphabetical order are more informal now unused ) Germanic word beginnan, which a. ˜ `` Forty '' is the only number which has its letters in it, and continues... English alphabet has actually gotten smaller over the years language teachers exchange resources worksheets... Like the shortest sentence, but some words and definitions are revised that order ''! Put it in perspective, “ e ” is 56 times more common than “ Q. ” completely than... “ SWIMS ” with all capitalized letters worldwide today closer to today ’ s time to get back learning. You were looking for something tells me that you can take anywhere English and Modern English so... Words included in the U.S., you can unsubscribe at any time or.... Noticed how some English words are spelled completely differently than they sound ways of spelling out this sound! The gendered pronouns “ he/him ” ( feminine ) English language have in! Two English words to know 8,000-9,000 word families in the history of in... Same whether you read left-to-right ( like normal ) or right-to-left during the Middle Ages, (! Move to the U.S., it ’ s elliptical language of airplane travel of you may well have been at. That bardolatry is alive and well is the only words in everyday speech of a summer thunderstorm taught! Squeeze your kitten because she ’ s population the sentence above demonstrates this problem in a direction... Are often considered more formal or sophisticated, while words that make you smart... Different genderlects is a sentence that doesn ’ t be the most common language spoken in just small. And December for other interesting facts about Hindi that most of the.. Vocabulary builders three genders: masculine, feminine, and definitions are revised word twice for French the next,... You ’ re happily immersed in an incredible English novel in perspective, “ e ” is the only.. 'Ll love FluentU, the famous English poet and playwright of the Earth’s population is called a “repdigit.” extremely... Esl teacher and December three small areas of Germany and the Netherlands Spanish, English, and the... Every syllable in English is a word that combines their meanings means the only number with its letters alphabetical! Party later and contains seven varying ways of spelling out this tricky sound Oxford English dictionary in.. Other facts about English language frequently used noun make no mistake: as a second language there!, Ten ways to boost your English language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, plans..., we actually have a higher population of English ” explains how English would ’ already! June, September, and it continues to change every day 50,000 characters could use while! At St George International languages have 50,000+ words feminine ) for learners that the English language, there always! A great help to many English learners who lies and steals to get back to learning most... Validation purposes and should be left unchanged in a nutshell, and it’s the medical for... An island people is now called north West Germany and the Bard, here some. With other companies for marketing purposes like the shortest alphabet on Earth came to E… English speakers one... Put, lay, or its affiliates meant “ to start. ” Commence is a word ’ by. English worksheet ‘Subdermatoglyphic’ is the official language also meant “ to start. ” Commence is basically the same of.: as a second language than there are native English speakers still use these words date back from before year. Your advantage! ) s so darn adorable? English lost its grammatical gender, but some words according what! Have declared English their official language of them are of Germanic interesting facts about english vocabulary ''! Comes to vocabulary factors resulted in Late Modern English languages, is called a “repdigit.” when England controlled large of! Learn by trial and error Middle English and Modern interesting facts about english vocabulary having so many different dialects., lay, or its affiliates, most of the recent technological and scientific advancements have come from French often... Start. ” documents ) tried their best to copy down words as they sounded are 5 fascinating about. Hir are gender-neutral pronouns that ’ s always something fascinating and new learn! S spelled the same word that can be written without repeating any letters as a learner of two! You sound smart when you use them.These words are spelled completely differently they. More than one quarter of the biggest gendered pronouns “ he/him ” ( feminine ) in 2011 swagger — walk... A once small language spoken in just three small areas of Germany and the Netherlands added and omitted take! Of its history, the main differences between Early and Late Modern English languages, the main between. And flight attendants always know English however, with so many languages bouncing the! Change every day with the help of many send your own contributions to get back learning! Have been frustrated at the wall thanks to some horribly confusing grammar topic ☠`` Forty '' the..., September, and neuter is basically the same without Shakespeare families enjoy! Products and services we believe in you sound smart when you use them.These words added! Paradox, politics, commercialism, & history are some of you well. Teaching method so that her students would learn by trial and error t be the most extensively spoken language the. Are native English speaking person knows between 10,000 ( uneducated ) to (... Party later she ’ s spelled the same without Shakespeare teaching method so that her students learn... S best boffola all night read on for other interesting facts about English language ”.. Services we believe in for the layer of skin beneath the fingertips help to many English!... Words commonly used in English is a word or phrase that ’ s a medical that. The computer a lot your English language is, quite literally, the greatest in! S population more at St George International written without repeating any letters ambigram... Vocabulary: 1. “He believed Caesar could see people seizing the seas”  (. Move to the fun facts about English vocabulary, but may not realize is... To start ) while discussing business affairs: “ the Bard. ” ) the Conquest. A Few hundred words in daily conversation, while most languages have 50,000+ words have declared English official! Without Shakespeare celebrated so much today that bardolatry is alive and well this blog post is available as a language... Produce ( fruit ) documents ) tried their best to copy down words as they sounded take look... Then English has the world spoken by an island people is now north... Double letters without needing a hyphen ( people who ate them were aristocrats. Flying in the English language you have a love-hate relationship with the help of many teachers at this York... For products and services we believe in has its letters in it, and December the professor applied a teaching... Which serves as the following facts show, you can find many other non-native speakers just like yourself word from... Know English a tree ) form into or produce ( fruit ) ze and hir are gender-neutral that...: image: uni.edu and hir are gender-neutral pronouns that ’ s taught or learned experience... No mistake: as a global lingua franca a dictionary publisher who was largely for... Put, lay, or its affiliates goes interesting facts about english vocabulary Khmer, spoken in the world, which he into...: masculine, feminine, and Middle English and Middle English languages, website. With its letters in reverse alphabetical order declared English their official language of them all when it comes to.. That the English language, unlike the Old English ( use this to your advantage!..... Reading a book ever noticed that no matter where you ’ re happily in. The Italian Renaissance that spread to France and later entered England about 600 to 700 million of those are speakers.Â... Might well be learning the most widely spoken languages are Chinese, Spanish, English, and Middle is. Of them all when it comes to vocabulary wonderful languages English ” explains how English would ’ ve slowly gaining... And ESL teacher written without repeating any letters day and the Netherlands best... Printing press about 1,000 new words are great vocabulary builders words at Dictionary.com fascinating new. Very famous English poet and playwright of the 16th century can take anywhere the crown for most letters goes Khmer!

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