Curiosities Facts About English Language

Over 840 million people speak English as a first or second language, which makes it the second most-spoken language right after Mandarin. It's the official language of 67 countries.

The English language is as fascinating as it is popular and obviously has its own history and peculiarities. Instead of only focusing on grammar and other theoretical aspects, don’t forget to enjoy its more entertaining side. Here are some facts about this language. Continue reading to learn them and get ready to impress your friends with your newly gained knowledge!

 

1. “Go!” is the shortest grammatically correct sentence in English.

2. The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

3. About 4,000 words are added to the dictionary each year.

4. 11% of the entire English language is just the letter E.

5. The two most common words in English are I and you.

6. 1/4 of the world’s population speaks at least some English.

7. The US doesn’t have an official language.

8. The most common adjective used in English is ‘good’.

9. English is the official language of 67 countries.

10. Shakespeare invented many words, such as birthplace, blushing (a cor vermelha com todas as suas nuances), undress, torture. 

11. The word ‘lol’ was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011.

12. The word ‘Goodbye’ originally comes from an Old English phrase meaning ‘god be with you’.

13. There are seven ways to spell the sound ‘ee’ in English. This sentence contains all of them: ‘He believed Caesar could see people seizing the seas’.

14. What is known as British accent came to use in and around London around the time of the American Revolution.

15. Many English words have changed their meaning over time - for example, ‘awful’ used to mean ‘inspiring wonder’ and was a short version of ‘full of awe’, whereas ‘nice’ used to mean ‘silly’

16. The first English dictionary was written in 1755.

17. The oldest English word that is still in use is ‘town’.

18. Many English words used to be spelled phonetically (e.g. debt was ‘det’) until some scholars purposely added silent letters to make them look more like Greek or Latin words, sometimes wrongly.

19. Many English words used to be spelled phonetically (e.g. debt was ‘det’) until some scholars purposely added silent letters to make them look more like Greek or Latin words, sometimes erroneously.

20. In addition to the word “lord” evolving from a word literally meaning “keeper of bread”, “lady” evolved from a word literally meaning “kneader of bread.”

21. If you write any number in words (English), count the number of letters, write this new number in words and so on, you’ll always end with number 4.

22. The word “set” has 464 definitions, making it the word with the most variety.

23. English words for livestock (cow, sheep, chicken) are Germanic-based and the words for meats (beef, mutton, poultry) are French-based. This is because the people who raised the animals were Anglo-Saxon peasants and the people who ate them were Norman aristocrats.

24. The word “dude” was first used in the late 1800s as an insult towards young men who were overly concerned with keeping up with the latest fashions.

25. There is a word that is the opposite of sparkle and it is “darkle.”

26. The word “minute” comes from “the first MINUTE (small) division of an hour.” The word “Second” comes from “the SECOND minute division of an hour.”

27. The word “legend” originally meant “things to be read.” In the pre-Medieval period, reading and writing were very rare, and so anything worthy of being written down was something very noteworthy, and thus “legendary”; worthy of being written down and read.

28. The English word ‘infant’ comes from the Latin word ‘infans’, meaning “unable to speak” or “speechless.”

29. “Bookkeeper” is the only word in English language with three consecutive Double letters.

30. The word “retarded” came into popular use during the 1960’s because it was considered far less offensive and more politically correct than labeling someone a m*ron, idiot or imbecile.

31. The word “retarded” came into popular use during the 1960’s because it was considered far less offensive and more politically correct than labeling someone a m*ron, idiot or imbecile.

32. The word “barbecue” has been around since 1650, and it has meant “outdoor meal of roasted meat or fish as a social entertainment” since 1733.

33. The word “liberal” in liberal arts means worthy of a free person (as opposed to a slave), and such an education isn’t meant to get you a job but rather to make you useful in a free society.

Sources: https://www.lingoda.com/en/blog/fun-facts-english-language

http://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-facts-about-english-language/ 

Written by: Raíssa