english · noun1
Uncertain. It is speculated to relate either to people from England introducing the technique for billiards or bowling in the United States, or perhaps from a particular person with the surname English.
English · adjective, noun, proper noun, verb2
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂enk-
- Proto-Germanic*angulaz
- Proto-West Germanic*angul?
- Proto-West Germanic*Angli
- Old EnglishEngle
- Old EnglishEnglisċ
- Middle EnglishEnglisch
- English todayEnglish
From Middle English Englisch, English, Inglis, from Old English Englisċ (“of the Angles; English”), from Engle (“the Angles”), a Germanic tribe + -isċ; equivalent to Engle + -ish. Doublet of Anglish. Compare West Frisian Ingelsk, Scots Inglis (older ynglis), Dutch Engels, Danish engelsk, Old French Englesche (whence French anglais), German englisch, Spanish inglés, all ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ- (“narrow”) (compare Sanskrit अंहु (áṃhu, “narrow”), अंहस् (áṃhas, “anxiety, sin”), Latin angustus (“narrow”), Old Church Slavonic ѫзъкъ (ǫzŭkŭ, “narrow”)). More at Angles (tribe) § Etymology on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Words from the same roots
Proto-Indo-European*h₂enǵʰ- all →
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.