Sunday, 19 July 2015
2.
belonging or relating to, or spoken or written in, the English language: ahigh-school English class;
an English translation of a Spanish novel.
3.
the people of England collectively, especially as distinguished from theScots, Welsh, and Irish.
4.
the Germanic language of the British Isles, widespread and standardalso in the U.S. and most of the British Commonwealth, historicallytermed Old English (c450–c1150), Middle English (c1150–c1475), andModern English (after c1475).
Abbreviation: E.
5.
English language, composition, and literature as offered as a course ofstudy in school.
6.
a specific variety of this language, as that of a particular time, place, orperson:
American English; Shakespearean English.
7.
simple, straightforward language:
What does all that jargon mean in English?
8.
Sports. (sometimes lowercase)
- a spinning motion imparted to a ball, especially in billiards.
- body English.
9.
Printing. a 14-point type of a size between pica and Columbian.
11.
to translate into English:
to English Euripides.
12.
to adopt (a foreign word) into English; Anglicize.
13.
(sometimes lowercase) Sports. to impart English to (a ball).
world Englishes
[ing-gli-shiz ing-li-shiz]
1.
the many and varied dialects of English spoken in different parts of theworld, including not only American and British English, but such varietiesas Indian, Pakistani, Australian, and New Zealand English, as well as theEnglish spoken in various African and Asian countries. In some parts ofthe world, English is spoken as a natural outgrowth of a colonial periodduring which certain countries, now independent, were part of theBritish Empire. In other places, people have been encouraged to learnEnglish because of its widespread use as a language of globalcommunication.
Also called varieties of English.
Word story
In the singular form, the term world English refers to a movement topromote the use of English globally as an official lingua franca, a means ofworldwide communication. There is, however, some concern about whetheror not there should be a single standard form of this global language.
Examples from the web for English
- In person, Khoury is genial and a fine conversationalist, speaking Englishgilded with a pronounced Arabic accent.
- Type in a question in plain English: "What was the weather in Rancho Mirage when Gerald Ford died?"
- What does it mean for a Chinese tiger, stuffed by the English, to be left as moth-food today?
British Dictionary definitions for English
English
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
Word Origin and History for English
n.
"people of England; the speech of England," Old English Englisc (contrastedto Denisc, Frencisce, etc.), from Engle (plural) "the Angles," the name ofone of the Germanic groups that overran the island 5c., supposedly so-called because Angul, the land they inhabited on the Jutland coast, wasshaped like a fish hook (see angle (n.)).
The term was used from earliest times without distinction for all theGermanic invaders -- Angles, Saxon, Jutes (Bede's gens Anglorum) -- andapplied to their group of related languages by Alfred the Great. After 1066,of the population of England (as distinguished from Normans and French), adistinction which lasted only about a generation.
In pronunciation, "En-" has become "In-," but the older spelling hasremained. Meaning "English language or literature as a subject at school" isfrom 1889. As an adjective, "of or belonging to England," from late 13c. OldEnglish is from early 13c.
The term was used from earliest times without distinction for all theGermanic invaders -- Angles, Saxon, Jutes (Bede's gens Anglorum) -- andapplied to their group of related languages by Alfred the Great. After 1066,of the population of England (as distinguished from Normans and French), adistinction which lasted only about a generation.
In pronunciation, "En-" has become "In-," but the older spelling hasremained. Meaning "English language or literature as a subject at school" isfrom 1889. As an adjective, "of or belonging to England," from late 13c. OldEnglish is from early 13c.
"spin imparted to a ball" (as in billiards), 1860, from French anglé "angled"(see angle (n.)), which is similar to Anglais "English."
Slang definitions & phrases for English
English 1
noun
An English muffin (1950s+ Lunch counter)
DMZ
noun
An area now peaceful but recently and perhaps soon again the scene ofviolence : They had long since passed Ninety-sixth Street, the infamousDMZ/ Traversing Brooklyn's DMZ to go to a steak house
[1980s+; fr the region between North and South Korea designated theDemilitarized Zone when the Korean War ended]
English in Technology
1. (Obsolete) The source code for a program, which may be in anylanguage, as opposed to the linkable or executable binary produced from itby a compiler. The idea behind the term is that to a real hacker, a programwritten in his favourite programming language is at least as readable asEnglish. Usage: mostly by old-time hackers, though recognisable in context.
2. The official name of the database language used by the Pick operating system, actually a sort of crufty, brain-damaged SQL with delusions ofgrandeur. The name permits marketroids to say "Yes, and you can programour computers in English!" to ignorant suits without quite running afoul ofthe truth-in-advertising laws.
["Exploring the Pick Operating System", J.E. Sisk et al, Hayden 1986].
[Jargon File ]
Idioms and Phrases with English
English
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