Multitudes of English

Today, English is the most widely learned language in the world, spoken in countless accents and styles. But English didn’t start that way. In this section, you’ll uncover the origins of English, tracing its roots from ancient Indo-European beginnings through invasions and borrowings that made it a ‘mongrel language’; examine why this language – out of thousands of contenders – became the world’s lingua franca, and what historical, cultural, and technological forces drove its rise. Finally, learn how divergence and local identity have created unique forms.