Changes

Since that  time, English has continued to grow and evolve, borrowing thousands of words from other languages, among them [[French]], [[Latin]], [[Greek]], and [[Spanish]], as well as generating new words of its own.  In large part as a result, English has one of the largest lexicons (vocabularies) of any world language, and is particularly rich in [[synonym]]s and near-synonyms.  It is the primary (native) language of approximately 400 million people worldwide, as well as a secondary, or learned language of 600 million more.  There are estimated to be nearly one billion people currently learning English.   

Since that  time, English has continued to grow and evolve, borrowing thousands of words from other languages, among them [[French]], [[Latin]], [[Greek]], and [[Spanish]], as well as generating new words of its own.  In large part as a result, English has one of the largest lexicons (vocabularies) of any world language, and is particularly rich in [[synonym]]s and near-synonyms.  It is the primary (native) language of approximately 400 million people worldwide, as well as a secondary, or learned language of 600 million more.  There are estimated to be nearly one billion people currently learning English.   

English spelling, though originally phonetic, has evolved considerably over time.  By the Middle English period, spelling had become quite variable, and standard spellings did not evolve until the late seveneenth century.  In the United States, the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifing some spelling which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour".  Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted, such that US English spelling differs from UK English in some hundreds of instances.  UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia; US English spelling is the standard in the [[United States]] and its possessions.

English spelling, though originally phonetic, has evolved considerably over time.  By the Middle English period, spelling had become quite variable, and standard spellings did not evolve until the late seveneenth century.  In the United States, the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifing some spelling which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour".  Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted, such that US English spelling differs from UK English in some hundreds of instances.  UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia; US English spelling is the standard in the [[United States]] and its territories.

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England.

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England.

[[Category:Languages]]

[[Category:Languages]]