English - Worldwide distribution (2024)

The origin of the English language

Despite its current worldwide distribution and designation as a world language, English is a Germanic language and was previously spoken exclusively in England, the southeastern part of Great Britain. The Angles and Saxons had a major influence on the language, which is why English is still sometimes called "Anglo-Saxon". The language has changed several times at different stages of development since the mid-first millennium, being influenced by Danish, Norwegian and French, while retaining essential West Germanic features.

From the British mainland it initially displaced the Celtic languages ​​of the surrounding islands. British colonial rule over numerous overseas territories in all parts of the world has spread the English language since the 16th century – although initially only in very limited areas. ThereforeBritish Empireand the increased settlement of North America, Africa and Australia, English became increasingly important. Today it is the most commonly used language when second and school languages ​​are taken into account.

English is the official language of many countries and for decades it also existed in international organizations such as the European and African Union, ASEAN and the United Nations.

Variations and mixing of languages

English is now the first foreign language taught in many countries. In many countries, so-called variants have been developed that use English as a basis, but mix it with national language features. The most famous example of this is the difference between British and American English. Although most words sound identical, words are sometimes pronounced or written in different variations depending on the region, such as "grey" or "gray". Such examples can be found in almost every country.

Otherwise, the English language is not adapted to one's own dialect, but anglicisms are formed by incorporating English words into one's own vocabulary. For example, many languages ​​use the term “computer,” even though it is a pure English word.

Unless otherwise stated in the text, this page is about native speakers and not the total number of speakers. How many people understand or speak English as a later learned language is not the subject of this page. Countries where only a few thousand or even a few hundred people are native speakers, or countries with a percentage well below 1%, are unlikely to be listed here.