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English language

/ˌɪŋ(g)lɪʃ ˌlæŋgwɪdʒ/
/ˈɪŋglɪʃ ˈlæŋgwɪdʒ/
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Other forms: English languages

Definitions of English language
  1. noun
    an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
    synonyms: English
    see moresee less
    types:
    American, American English, American language
    the English language as used in the United States
    cockney
    the nonstandard dialect of natives of the east end of London
    geordie
    the nonstandard dialect of natives of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    King's English, Queen's English
    English as spoken by educated persons in southern England
    Received Pronunciation
    the approved pronunciation of British English; originally based on the King's English as spoken at public schools and at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (and widely accepted elsewhere in Britain); until recently it was the pronunciation of English used in British broadcasting
    Middle English
    English from about 1100 to 1450
    Modern English
    English since about 1450
    Anglo-Saxon, Old English
    English prior to about 1100
    Oxford English
    the dialect of English spoken at Oxford University and regarded by many as affected and pretentious
    Scots, Scots English, Scottish
    the dialect of English used in Scotland
    AAVE, African American English, African American Vernacular English, Black English, Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular, Black Vernacular English, Ebonics
    a nonstandard form of American English characteristically spoken by African Americans in the United States
    East Midland
    the dialect of Middle English that replaced West Saxon as the literary language and which developed into Modern English
    West Midland
    a dialect of Middle English
    Northern
    a dialect of Middle English that developed into Scottish Lallans
    Kentish
    a dialect of Middle English
    Southwestern, West Saxon
    a dialect of Middle English
    West Saxon
    a literary dialect of Old English
    Anglian
    one of the major dialects of Old English
    Jutish, Kentish
    one of the major dialects of Old English
    Lallans, Scottish Lallans
    a dialect of English spoken in the Lowlands of Scotland
    type of:
    West Germanic, West Germanic language
    a branch of the Germanic languages
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