English language
English is a West Germanic language that originated in England and became a global language through migration, empire, trade, and cultural influence.
English grammar: The system of rules governing word forms, sentence structure, and meaning in English. Word order and auxiliary verbs carry grammatical distinctions that English marks less through inflection.
Old English: The earliest recorded historical stage of English, spoken and written in England from about the fifth to the eleventh centuries. Its Germanic grammar and vocabulary form the earliest documented foundation of English.
English as a lingua franca: The use of English as a shared language among people who have different first languages. This role connects English speakers internationally without requiring a common native language.
German language: A West Germanic language spoken chiefly in Germany, Austria, and parts of neighboring countries. German is a close historical relative whose grammar retains features English has largely lost.
English phonology: The sound system of English, including its consonants, vowels, stress patterns, and phonological rules. English spelling often obscures the sound patterns that speakers learn and use.
Middle English: The stage of English used roughly from the late eleventh to the late fifteenth centuries. After the Norman Conquest, English changed substantially in grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.
English-medium education: Education in which English is used to teach academic subjects, often where it is not the main local language. Schools and universities use English both as a subject and as a medium for other disciplines.
French language: A Romance language descended from Latin and spoken in France and communities worldwide. French is a major source of English vocabulary but belongs to a different language family.
English orthography: The conventions for writing English, including spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and word division. English writing preserves spellings from different periods and languages, producing irregular correspondences with pronunciation.
Early Modern English: The stage of English used from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth centuries. Printing, standardization, and major sound changes shaped the language during this period.