anglo

Anglo is a prefix and informal shorthand used to denote England or English-speaking cultures. It derives from Angli, a Germanic tribe, and is used to describe things associated with the Angles, one of the medieval peoples who settled in Britain and contributed to the formation of the English nation.

In historical usage, Anglo- appears in terms such as Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, Anglo-Scottish, and Anglo-American, functioning as a cultural or geographic marker that links a people or tradition to England or the English-speaking world.

In modern usage, Anglo can describe English-speaking populations outside of England, as in Anglo-American or Anglophone communities. It remains common in academic and journalistic writing, but can carry varying connotations depending on context and audience.

The Angles were among the Germanic peoples who migrated to Britain after Roman rule, and the name England is derived from Engla land, land of the Angles. The term Anglo is thus tied to historical origins as well as to contemporary identity and language.

The term is primarily a linguistic and cultural shorthand rather than a precise political designation, and its use is most common in discussions of language, culture, or historical studies. See also Anglophone, Anglosphere, Anglo-Saxon.