Where did English come from? - Claire Bowern?

English is like a big, friendly group of people who all came together to make one fun language.

A long time ago, there were many different groups of people speaking their own languages, kind of like how your family has its own way of talking, and your friend’s family has theirs too. One of those groups was the Anglo-Saxons, who lived in what is now England. They spoke a language called Old English.

Then came the Normans, who were from France. When they arrived in England, they brought their own language with them, it was like a mix of French and Latin. This new language started to mix with Old English, kind of like when you pour two different drinks into one cup, they both still taste good, but they make something new.

Over many years, this mixing made the language we know today as English. So even though it looks and sounds simple now, it's actually a fun mix of many older languages that came together over time, just like how you might have friends from different places who all speak a little bit of each other’s languages at playtime!