* English is a hybrid language: English has evolved from a blend of influences, primarily Old English (a Germanic language), Norman French (a Romance language), and other languages through historical interactions.
* Family tree vs. language evolution: While we can talk about language families, like the Indo-European family that English belongs to, the process of language evolution is more complex than a simple family tree. Languages branch and merge, borrow from each other, and change over time in ways that make it difficult to assign clear "sister" relationships.
What we *can* say:
* English's closest relatives are other Germanic languages: These include German, Dutch, Frisian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, and more. These languages share a common ancestor and have noticeable similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
* English has significant influence from French: This is due to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. While not a "sister" language, French has heavily impacted English vocabulary, grammar, and even pronunciation.
It's more accurate to think of English as a language that has evolved through a complex web of influences, rather than having a single set of "sister languages."