July 1st celebrates the confederation of the British colonies, uniting to form the Dominion of Canada. As many of the early settlers came from England, the language came along with them. The English language, however, has far deeper roots.
The Language that Brings People Together
Today, the English language is spoken around the world. Itâs the first language of many people, but the second language of so many more. English is known as a common language that can bring two people together who do not speak the same primary language. For example, a Spaniard and a Swede might not speak each otherâs language, but the chances are high that they will both speak some degree of English.
Sound interesting? Here are three more facts that might pique your curiosity about the language that goes around the world:
1) English is the only major language without an academy that oversees it
For example:
â In France, the AcadĂ©mie française oversees the French language.
â The Real Academia Española handles the Spanish language.
â German has the Rat fĂŒr deutsche Rechtshreibung as a guide.
Though many have tried to create an English Academy, the last time anything went into effect was in 1820. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the âAmerican Academy of Language and Belles Lettres was launched with John Quincy Adams as president, but broke up after two years after receiving little political or public support.â At present, South Africa is âthe only English-speaking country to have a language academy.â
2) English words come from a mixture of many languages
Old English developed from a mixture of West Germanic languages including German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Faroese, and Icelandic. Though these languages are very different, Listverse explains that they âare similar to one another in grammar, vocabulary, syntax and verb usage.â With a little bit of Latin and Celtic thrown in for good measure, itâs taken a lot of influence to create the English language that is spoken today.
3) English will continue to change
All languages will continue to evolve and change throughout time. Without change, a language âbecomes purely academic, like Latin or Ancient Greek.â You have already seen many changes in your lifetime. After all, 20 years ago, a âtweetâ was the sound that a bird made and to âgoogleâ someone sounded mildly offensive. This is what makes the job of a translator so important.
When languages change, those who work in translation must know how to adapt to the changesâand do so quickly. This is why we hire professional translators who are not only skilled in their specific language, but in the area of specialization. For example, those with a medical background will have a better understanding of the medical terms that are tricky to translate, but can be lifesaving. And as technology changes almost every day, those with a background in IT and software can provide up-to-date translations. Whatever your translation needs may be, weâre here to help. Contact us today.