Engelsk

Engelsk is the Danish and Norwegian term for the English language and is used as an adjective to describe things related to England or to the English language in those languages.

English is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European family. It originated in early medieval England from a mix of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) dialects with substantial influences from Norse and Latin.

From Old English (c. 450–1100) through Middle English (1100–1500) after the Norman conquest, to Early Modern English (15th–17th centuries), and Modern English from the 18th century onward. Key developments included the standardization of spelling and grammar, the Great Vowel Shift, and rapid borrowing from many languages.

Dialects and varieties: notable varieties include British English and American English; others include Canadian, Australian, Indian English, etc. Standard forms such as Received Pronunciation and General American are widely used as reference accents.

Writing system: English uses the Latin alphabet, typically 26 letters, with a rich spelling system that reflects its history of borrowings from French, Latin, Greek, Norse, and other languages. Orthographic differences exist between British and American conventions.

Global role: English is a global lingua franca in business, science, education, and media. It is an official language or de facto language in many countries and is widely learned as a second language.