1. Germanic: This is the core of the English language, stemming from Old English (Anglo-Saxon), which was brought to Britain by Germanic tribes. Examples include:
* Common words: day, night, hand, water, father, mother, brother, sister, good, bad
* Everyday verbs: be, do, have, see, come, go, stand, sit, eat, drink, sleep
2. Latin: Latin, the language of ancient Rome, has had a massive influence on English, mostly through Norman French.
* Academic and scientific terms: biology, physics, anatomy, philosophy, psychology
* Words related to law, government, and religion: justice, government, senate, church, religion, clergy
* Many everyday words: street, city, table, chair, wine, bread
3. French: The Norman conquest of England in 1066 brought Norman French into prominence.
* Words related to government, law, food, and fashion: royal, parliament, judge, jury, beef, pork, fashion, elegant
* Many words with different meanings from their Latin equivalents: bank (financial institution vs. riverbank), table (furniture vs. chart)
4. Greek: Ancient Greek contributed heavily to scientific, philosophical, and artistic vocabulary.
* Scientific terms: atom, molecule, biology, geology, astronomy, philosophy
* Words related to art and theater: drama, tragedy, comedy, muse, chorus
5. Scandinavian: Vikings raided and settled in parts of Britain, leaving behind some words.
* Words related to navigation, warfare, and law: skull, knife, anger, law, husband, anger
6. Other: English has borrowed words from many other languages, including:
* Arabic: algebra, alcohol, coffee, sugar
* Spanish: siesta, tornado, ranch, guitar
* Italian: opera, piano, pizza, spaghetti
* Dutch: boss, yacht, cookie
* Hindi: jungle, bungalow
* Japanese: tsunami, karate, bonsai
* Chinese: tea, silk, kung fu
The beautiful thing about English is its ability to absorb and adapt words from other languages. This makes it a rich and expressive language, with a vocabulary that reflects its history and its connections to the world.