Where does “English” come from?
English derives from Middle English Englisch, from Old English Englisc, formed with the Old English suffix -isċ meaning "of or pertaining to," from Proto-West Germanic -isk, from Proto-Germanic -iskaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iskos.
English (English): Of or pertaining to England; English-language; of...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to England; English-language; of...
Ancestry of “English”, step by step
English traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French French
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | French | — |
| 2 | English | French | The people of France; groups of French people;... |
| 3 | Middle English | French | — |
| 4 | Old English | Frenċisċ | Frankish |
| 5 | Old English | Franca | Frank, Frenchman; a Frank |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | frankō | spear, javelin; a Frank |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | frankô | spear, javelin; a Frank |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | prAng- | pole, stalk |
via Middle English Englisch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Englisch | of England; from England; of the English... |
| 2 | Old English | Englisċ | of the Angles; of the Angles; English |
| 3 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |