* Defining "foreign" is tricky: English has borrowed words from so many languages over centuries that "foreign" becomes somewhat subjective. Does a word borrowed from Old French 1,000 years ago count as foreign? What about words adopted from Latin, which was the language of scholarship for centuries?
* Constantly evolving vocabulary: English is a living language that constantly incorporates new words. The number of words from foreign origin is always changing.
* Difficult to track: There's no comprehensive, universally accepted dictionary that lists the origin of every single English word.
However, here are some insights:
* The majority of English words are believed to have foreign origins. Estimates range from 60% to 80%, with many words coming from French, Latin, Greek, and other languages.
* The core vocabulary, including basic words like "dog," "cat," and "run," is primarily Anglo-Saxon. These words date back to the Old English period.
* Borrowing words is a natural process. Languages constantly interact and influence each other, leading to the adoption of new words and concepts.
While we can't pinpoint an exact number, it's safe to say that the English vocabulary is heavily influenced by words from other languages. This makes English a remarkably rich and diverse language.