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Why English is different from other Germanic languages?
The main reason English seems closer to Romance languages than it does other Germanic languages is because its vocabulary has been highly influenced by Romance languages over the years. All together, French and Latin (both Romance languages) account for 58\% of the vocabulary used in today’s English.
Why does the English language have so many words from other cultures?
Borrowing and lending of words happens because of cultural contact between two communities that speak different languages. Often, the dominant culture (or the culture perceived to have more prestige) lends more words than it borrows, so the process of exchange is usually asymmetrical.
What cultures influenced the English language?
Having emerged from the dialects and vocabulary of Germanic peoples—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—who settled in Britain in the 5th century CE, English today is a constantly changing language that has been influenced by a plethora of different cultures and languages, such as Latin, French, Dutch, and Afrikaans.
Why does English have so many words that mean the same thing?
Modern English has an unusually large number of synonyms or near-synonyms, mainly because of the influence of very different language groups: Germanic (Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse, the main basis of English), Romance languages (Latin, French), and Greek.
What percentage of the English language is Germanic?
In 2016, English vocabulary is 26\% Germanic, 29\% French, 29\% Latin, 6\% from Greek and the remaining 10\% from other languages and proper names. All together, French and Latin (both Romance languages) account for 58\% of the vocabulary used in today’s English.
What is the origin of the English language?
In the case of English, it developed from Proto-Germanic, alongside German, Dutch, Yiddish, and a few other languages. The main reason English seems closer to Romance languages than it does other Germanic languages is because its vocabulary has been highly influenced by Romance languages over the years.
When did English become a separate language from German?
It is impossible to say just when English became a separate language, rather than just a German dialect, although it seems that the language began to develop its own distinctive features in isolation from the continental Germanic languages, by around 600 AD.
Why is English so close to the Romance languages?
The main reason English seems closer to Romance languages than it does other Germanic languages is because its vocabulary has been highly influenced by Romance languages over the years. In 2016, English vocabulary is 26\% Germanic, 29\% French, 29\% Latin, 6\% from Greek and the remaining 10\% from other languages and proper names.