10 interesting facts about english language

Do you have a strange kind of love-hate relationship with English language?

One moment, you would be joyfully immersed in an incredible and amazing English novel. The next moment, you are tossing your textbook at the wall because of some horribly confusing grammar topics.

English is a beautiful yet muddled, fun yet infuriating language at the same time.

In any case, that’s what makes learning English a particularly rewarding experience! There’s always something captivating and new to learn.

From difficult spelling, to words that portray the intense inclination you get when you see a cute and charming kitten, every aspect of English has its own story.

Rather than just focusing on grammar and other theoretical aspects, remember to make the most of its more entertaining and engaging side.

Below are 10 fascinating and interesting facts about English that will both astonish you and help you better understand the wonderful language you're learning!

1. Z is not the last alphabet added in the English language.

One of the many things that we learn first as children is the alphabet. That is the reason when you read "A B C D E F G," you sing the alphabet song in your mind.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply that you have a deep understanding of English alphabets. For instance, you most likely think the last letter added to the string of alphabets was "Z", but then, it really wasn’t.

Indeed, the last alphabet added in the English language was the alphabet J.

During the Roman era, J was not even considered to be a letter. Hence, during those times, Julius Caesar was called Iulius.

1. Today, "LOL" is an acronym used for "Laugh Out Loud". However, during the 1960s, LOL was used in the USA to portray a "little old lady".
2. The word "set" in the English language holds the Guinness Book of World Records. The record is for having the highest number of definitions. The word has got 430 meanings in the 2nd edition of Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1989. It commands the longest entry in the dictionary at 60,000 words.
3. A pangram is a sentence that uses every one of the 26 letters of the English alphabets.

The most well-known pangram is "A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". Typewriters and keyboards are frequently tested with this sentence.

5. There was a great man who contributed significantly towards English language. And that was Shakespeare who added more than 1000 words to the English language.

Nearly everybody on the planet has known about the great William Shakespeare, the popular English poet and writer of the 16th century. The influence of Shakespeare on English literature is beyond words. From love sonnets to plays like "Romeo and Juliet", the touch of Shakespeare has really changed the face of literature.

Did you realize that English language itself would not be something very similar without Shakespeare?

Shakespeare discovered more than 1,000 words, which he consolidated into his writing. Today, all of us still use these words in our daily conversations.

6. English is not the official language of the USA.

Actually, the US does not have an official language at the government level. However, a few states have declared English their official language.

While English is the most commonly spoken language in the US, it is in no way the only one. America is made up of people from numerous diverse backgrounds who speak lots of wonderful languages.

That implies if you visit or move to the US, you can discover many non-native speakers of different origins.

7. English is known as the language of the skies.

Right from 1950s, English has been the language of air travel. Those working in aviation industry are now required to step through regular tests to prove their English language proficiency in order to improve communications and promote safety in the skies.

8. Boo…hahahaaa!!! It is a ghost word.

Have you wondered about what scares a dictionary? Ghost words!!!

Have you ever heard about ghost words? It is not connected directly to Halloween.

Well, a ghost word is a word that has appeared in the dictionaries by error instead of by normal linguistic transmission, as through the mistaken reading of an original copy, a scribal mistake or a misprint. Some of the ghost words were abacot (the misspelling of "bycoket" – a type of headwear), kimes (the misspelling of knives) and morse (the misspelling of nurse).

9. "…um…" "…you know…" "…like…" "…means…"

Have you used these words quite often in your conversations repeatedly?

Did you know that those repeat words are called crutch words?

These crutch words are go-to words that creep into our conversations and sometimes our writing too without us even realizing it. Over the long run, we come to rely upon these words, believing that they are important to build well-structured sentences. However, it is the opposite that is usually true. Most crutch words do not add any value to a sentence. Some can even have the opposite impact of what you mean.

10. Why QWERTY Keypad?

Have you ever wondered why the English keyboard is set out in the manner it is rather than in alphabetical order? The reason for this is on early typewriters, the keys should have been arranged in a certain way so that the mechanical rods which held the letters did not clash excessively and jam. The letters needed to be separated so that the ones which were most regularly used were not close to one another.

Regardless of whether you love English language or not (or perhaps both, depending upon the day), you can’t contend that the language doesn’t keep you guessing. There is always something fascinating and interesting to learn and these 10 amazing facts about English language must have inspired you to keep learning!

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