* History of Conquest and Trade: England's historical role as a colonizer and a major center of international trade exposed it to a wide range of other languages. The Norman conquest brought in French, while colonial ventures brought in words from languages like Hindi, Tamil, Malay, and many others.
* Openness to Borrowing: English has a relatively flexible grammar and pronunciation, making it easier to incorporate words from other languages. Unlike some languages with stricter rules, English is more accepting of new words and adapts them into its own system.
* Global Influence: English's widespread use as a global language has led to the further borrowing of words from other languages. As people from different cultures communicate in English, they bring their own words into the mix.
* Lack of a Strong Language Academy: Unlike some other languages like French or Spanish, English doesn't have a centralized body that strictly controls its evolution. This allows for more organic borrowing and adaptation of words.
It's important to note that "most borrowed words" is a relative term. While English has a large vocabulary with numerous borrowed words, other languages also have significant numbers of borrowed words. It's more about the relative scale and the way English has integrated these words into its core structure.
Ultimately, the openness and flexibility of English, combined with its historical and global influence, have contributed to its rich and diverse vocabulary, heavily shaped by borrowed words.