The Eastern Origin of English Words

Abstract

Etymology is a branch of linguistics describing the origin of words, their change and development. To-day the far reaching advances in linguistics and in ELT and EFL oblige us, teachers of English to know well not only the language itself but about the language as well. So are they for the English vocabulary. This paper explains the reasons for the percentage of borrowings in the English language. Explanations for this should be sought in the eventful history of England. If to summarize the origin of the English vocabulary, it can be roughly called Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Scandinavian and French. However, the borrowings are not confined only to these languages. There are borrowings from Arabic, Turkish, Indian and many others. Some of the borrowings have been fully adapted to the phonetic system of the English language, while others look and sound as loan words. The English language can be regarded as the most hospitable language in the world.