English Definition and 313 Threads

English is a West Germanic language first spoken in early medieval England, which has become the leading language of international discourse in the 21st century. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula on the Baltic Sea. English is most closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, while its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Old Norse (a North Germanic language), as well as Latin and French.English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a group of West Germanic (Ingvaeonic) dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the 5th century, are collectively called Old English. Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England; this was a period in which English was influenced by Old French, in particular through its Old Norman dialect. Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London, the printing of the King James Bible and the start of the Great Vowel Shift.Modern English has been spreading around the world since the 17th century by the worldwide influence of the British Empire and the United States. Through all types of printed and electronic media of these countries, English has become the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and professional contexts such as science, navigation and law. Modern English grammar is the result of a gradual change from a typical Indo-European dependent marking pattern, with a rich inflectional morphology and relatively free word order, to a mostly analytic pattern with little inflection, a fairly fixed subject–verb–object word order and a complex syntax. Modern English relies more on auxiliary verbs and word order for the expression of complex tenses, aspect and mood, as well as passive constructions, interrogatives and some negation.
English is the largest language by number of speakers, and the third most-spoken native language in the world, after Standard Chinese and Spanish. It is the most widely learned second language and is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states. There are more people who have learned it as a second language than there are native speakers. As of 2005, it was estimated that there were over 2 billion speakers of English. English is the majority native language in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, an official and the main language of Singapore, and it is widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. It is a co-official language of the United Nations, the European Union and many other world and regional international organisations. It is the most widely spoken Germanic language, accounting for at least 70% of speakers of this Indo-European branch. English speakers are called "Anglophones". There is much variability among the many accents and dialects of English used in different countries and regions—in terms of phonetics and phonology, and sometimes also vocabulary, idioms, grammar, and spelling— but it does not typically prevent understanding by speakers of other dialects and accents, although mutual unintelligibility can occur at extreme ends of the dialect continuum.

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  1. MacLaddy

    Help with English units. Specific Heat

    Homework Statement I have a problem that I've mostly solved using Ideal-gas specific heats for Oxygen. It has the form C_p = a + bT + cT^2 + dT^3 I am supposed to give the answer in English units of \frac{Btu}{lbm}, but I am having some difficulties in my conversion. Homework...
  2. E

    Metric VS English engineering system of measurement

    Hey guys, I know you all wish you never had to do all the weird conversions required for our current system of measurement. I know I'd rather convert 17km to m than 17mi to feet or ever inches. I thought that since I know so many people who would rather just do the easy metric conversions...
  3. Femme_physics

    Engineering Technical Writing (in engineering fields) and English

    Hi folks! I've considered a career as a technical writer for the mechatronics/electronics fields for a while now (yes I have engineering education), but I'm wondering if I'd want to work in a European country like Netherlands, Germany...do they need technical writers in English? Or, do they...
  4. H

    Is there an english grammar rule that prohibits an

    inanimate object thinking its own thoughts? I am going over this bible verse which states the following: "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" I am reading "the hope of righteousness" like the word "righteousness" is actually "hoping" for something. --But...
  5. M

    I hope this helps!Translating Statements into Logical Formulas

    Is the statement "if you are a comedian then you are funny." equivalent to what is defined in part (a)?
  6. I

    Native speaker please => English pronunciation

    I heard from a native speaker that words like *analysts, texts, sex etc* should be pronounced as */analysts/, /texkts/, sexks* That is impossible (those in bold) for me but Do native speakers when speaking never miss those single letters in bold ? Thank you.
  7. B

    Looking for the ENGLISH translation of the JAPANESE manuscript

    Dear forumers, I'm looking for the translation in ENGLISH for the following article : On the Dispersion Mechanism in Laminar Flow through Tubes Kunio Arai1), Shozaburo Saito1), Siro Maeda1) 1) Department of Chemical Engineering, Tohoku University Chemical engineering Vol. 31 (1967) No. 1 P...
  8. S

    Studying I couldn't find books in English for learning mathematics and physics

    Homework Statement I'm a student of a correspondance university in Japan. I want to learn physics and mathematics in English,but I can't find which books are suitable to study from very basic mathematics and Physics. "Very basic", I mentioned, means on a level like pupils at school in the U.K...
  9. F

    Physics Bachelors in Europe taught in English

    Hello all. I registered here to make some inquires, hoping that you might be of help. My fascination of Physics and my desire for adventure drives me to study Physics somewhere outside my country of origin. I am particularly interested in studying in Central or Eastern Europe because of the...
  10. E

    Calculate force in english units

    Homework Statement Determine the force necessary to accelerate a mass of 20 lbm at a rate of 60 ft/s^2 vertically upward.Homework Equations How do you properly account for weight? What exactly is pound force? How do you go from pound mass (lbm) to pound force (lbf)? The Attempt at a Solution F...
  11. V

    Why is English compulsory at school?

    I really don't see the point in analyzing a text or writing a creative. You can argue that learning English allows one to acquire essential skills such as communication, reading comprehension etc... but such skills can be acquired much more effectively in ways other than watching a movie then...
  12. E

    How do you calculate pressure using english units?

    Homework Statement The reading on a mercury manometer at 25 degrees Celsius (open to the atmosphere at one end) is 25.62 inches. The local acceleration of gravity is 32.243(ft)(s^2) Atmospheric pressure is 29.86 (in Hg). What is the absolute pressure in psia being measured? The density of...
  13. B

    Translating Quantified Statements Into English

    Homework Statement Translate these statements into English, where C(x) is “x is a comedian” and F(x) is “x is funny” and the domain consists of all people. a) ∀x(C(x)→F(x)) b)∀x(C(x)∧F(x)) c) ∃x(C(x)→F(x)) d)∃x(C(x)∧F(x)) Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution...
  14. DiracPool

    My biology teacher could barely speak English

    Capillaries? Sorry about my whining last night, Evo, I was having a bad night. I won't bore you guys with the details. Is there a link where I could learn how to utilize these features. If I want to mark a quote where the OP is featured, the only way I can do it is quote the whole post...
  15. T

    What does Shakespeare mean in plain english

    Its from midsummer nights dream, act 5 scene 1. Quince is giving his perfomamnce as a lion, and he has just assured the audience that he isn't really a lion, he's just acting one out. So what i don't understand is the analogies that are used --fox, goose, valour, wisdom etc --- and how they all...
  16. PhizKid

    Schools Letters of recommendation from non-native English speakers (US schools)

    When applying as a transfer to a 4-year college from community college, is there anything detrimental about this? I don't want to be insulting and ask him to get someone to proof read his letter of recommendation, but he's not exactly a Nobel laureate or NAS member so I'm afraid if his letter is...
  17. lisab

    Tongue Twisters: English and Not English

    The current photo contest - https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=657811 - made me wonder about tongue-twisters. For PFers who aren't native English speaking, what are some tongue-twisters in your native language? And of course I'd like to know native English speakers'...
  18. D

    Someone explain hybrid zero dynamics in simple english?

    Homework Statement I'm working on a bipedal walker and as part of initial research I found hybrid zero dynamics as a solution to help detect terrain. The current method used is combining data from accelerometer and gyroscope and using Kalman Filter to find angle in x,y,z planes...
  19. D

    Will a letter of rec from a professor with poor English reflect badly on me?

    One of the professors I'm asking to write a letter of rec for grad school isn't the best at English. She's from Romania, so I think it's understandable. She's one of my favorite professors and I've always done extremely well in her classes, so it was an obvious choice to me for me to ask her...
  20. N

    Translating English Sentences into Logical Expressions with Nested Quanitifiers

    Hello everyone, An example from a homework assignment has me stymied. There are two parts. Here they are: First part: Let M(x,y) be "x has sent y an e-mail message" and T(x,y) be "x has telephoned y," where the domain consists of all students in your class. Use quantifiers to express each of...
  21. R

    Writing: Input Wanted From IT Tech to English Adventure: My Story

    I decided to give it a shot at writing something, i should start off letting you all know i have never gotten an A in english(high grades) I'm 22 years old and I'm now a fully qualified IT Technical Support Officer. English was never a strong point for me and still is far from decent, i used to...
  22. S

    News Is the Dual Meaning of Probability Eroding English Clarity?

    I am quite troubled by a certain singularity in thought which has crept into our common usage. In general, we strive for precision in our words, and tend to inflate and separate words, broadening vocabulary, manufacturing new separate words when we run across ambiguity. Sometimes several...
  23. micromass

    Help with pronouncing english words

    So I was reading an english text and I enounctered the following strange words: nebagonagibuop and nebegonalepudown. It's a science-fiction text, so it doesn't mean anything. I just wanted to ask how people on this forum would pronounce these words??
  24. J

    How can I improve my English for GRE and TOEFL exams?

    Hello - I am from India and my first language is Hindi and second English. I want to improve my English as I sometimes find myself short of words and I am not that fluent. Also after my college I'll give exams like GRE and TOEFL so I need to improve my English for a good score. My question is...
  25. A

    Studying Studying Abroad: English Bachelor Programs in Europe.

    Hello People, I am seeking for universities/schools some where in Europe that offers English bachelor programs in technology fields "low tuition fees are preferable", it would be great if any of these universities don't require much like higher grades or transcripts coz I only got a High School...
  26. S

    How Do You Pronounce Complex Mathematical Expressions in English?

    I apologise for choosing not so related topic, but I could'n find better one. I will have to read some math expressions in English for audience and I'm not sure how to say it. And when I ask English teacher, they don't know what it means in the first place and can't give me any advise either...
  27. P

    Is Starting a Sentence with Because Too Casual for Formal Writing?

    Please help me with these two sentences Which one is supposed to be better ? 1. Why do you want to work in this field ? Because we want to and know how. 2. Why do you want to work in this field ? Because we want to and we know how.
  28. azizlwl

    What Does Scoring a Total of 7 in Two Tosses of a Pair of Dice Involve?

    Find the probability of scoring a total of 7 points (a) once, (b) at least once, (c) twice, in 2 tosses of a pair of dice. My question. 1. What does scoring a total of 7 points mean? Is it 1+6 or 2+5 or 3+4 or 4+3 or 5+2 or 6+1 2. Is in 2 tosses of a pair of dice means that throwing 2...
  29. Z

    Converting lbm & lbf: Help with Newton's 2nd Law

    I'm a little confused about the conversion between lbm and lbf (mass pounds and force pounds). I'm doing a problem where I'm using Newton's 2nd law to calculate mass flow rate. F= Δ((Mass flow rate)*Velocity) I know my force is 400 lbf and velocity is 40 ft/s so mass flow rate is...
  30. L

    Completely bombed my english final FML

    I'm in high school and my english final was basically analyzing a short story and then writing an essay on what I thought the theme/message was. I completely and utterly screwed up, it was a really challenging piece but the conclusion I came to turned out to be completely wrong, and in hindsight...
  31. M

    Where can I find english version of Ann. Soc. scient bruxelles A47, 49(1927)

    Hi guys, Where can I find english version of G. Lemaitre's paper Ann. Soc. Scient. bruxelles A47, 49(1927), and Ann. Soc. Scient. bruxelles A53, 51(1927) . I can find only french version in google, and I don't know french. Our library does not have this journal. Thanks.
  32. S

    What do you find most difficult about English?

    For non native speakers here. For example, the spelling, the grammar (be specific please), the sentence structure, the vocabulary, etc. One specific example that comes to mind: the way the word "over" is used. It can mean "above" contrasted with "below"; or as contrasted with "under". It can...
  33. S

    Which Logic Translation Correctly Expresses Everyone Likes Mary, Except Mary?

    Homework Statement I am going back and reviewing some elementary material in logic/set theory. Among the problems in the quantifier section is the following english sentence to logic sentence translation: Everyone likes Mary, except Mary herself. Now, my attempt was: (∀x)[(x≠m →...
  34. M

    LINGUISTICS: contributions of Latin and Greek to English

    From my understanding, the line of descent of the English language looks like this: Modern English << Middle English << Old English << Anglo-Saxon << Old Saxon/other Old Germanic languages. Also, from my understanding, somewhere between 50-70% of all modern English words have Latin and/or...
  35. N

    Best places to study Physics in English in Europe for a scientific career

    Hi there! I am puzzling over the choice of a European university where to study physics. I have to start from scratch, that is from a bachelor degree, since my BSc is in a different field, computer science engineering. Courses must be taught completely in English because I don't have any...
  36. zoobyshoe

    Lingusitics Where is English the Official Language ?

    Where is English the "Official Language"? I figure: Canada US England Ireland Scotland Australia New Zealand I am not sure about: Wales India Philippines Guam South Africa
  37. C

    What American English Sounds Like to Non-English Speakers

    So I have heard gibberish versions of languages, such as gibberish German or gibberish Japanese and gibberish Chinese, and even gibberish Russian (where you can't tell that someone isn't speaking the real language if you don't speak it). So I have always wondered what American English sounds...
  38. N

    Is an English A Level More Useful Than Chemistry for Aspiring Physicists?

    Hi guys, I'm in year 11 (UK) and will be choosing A levels to do in sixth-form next year. I would like to be a physicist and will be choosing physics, maths and further maths definitely. I hope to do four A levels but I can't decide whether to do Chemistry or English Language. Chemistry will...
  39. A

    Schools MSc. Physics in English at Stuttgart University

    Hello Friends, I have been searching to take my masters in physics in Germany and found Stuttgart Uni. I am looking forward into it. But i have few doubts related to course, fees and city. I have no knowledge of German. 1) How is the reputation to study Physics in Stuttgart Varsity? 2) The...
  40. I_am_learning

    Gender Independent Salutation in English

    I need to publish a list of a committee members. Is there any better way of preceding each persons name by Mr/Ms ? Like 1. Mr/Ms Rajendra Adhikari ---- Chairman 2. Mr/Ms Ramkumar kafle ----- Vice-Chairman . . etc. I am searching for single word replacement for Mr/Ms if there is any?
  41. D

    Q2. What is the purpose of independent thinking and creating knowledge?

    i am not quite good in english , so anyone would be kind enough to help me with these? Q1. Which of these words mean " to be in harmony with" ? a) uniformity b) alike c) conformity d) akin Q2. Rearrange these The Purpose / with ability / independent thinking / to create /...
  42. N

    Courses English language undergrad courses in Europe (non-uk)

    Hi I am a UK student and I'll be applying for undergrad physics courses in the UK and hopefully mainland Europe to start next September - just in time for the £9000/year fees to kick in! Most of my chosen UK courses are "Year in Europe" courses anyway, since I would like to study abroad...
  43. D

    Ordinal Numbers: Bridging English & Set Theory

    How are ordinal numbers in set theory/order theory related to ordinal numbers in English? There should somehow be a bit of relationship for them to share the same name.
  44. S

    Pressure depth problem in English units instead of metric

    Homework Statement Consider a submarine cruising 32 ft below the free surface of seawater whose density is 64 lbm / (ft^3). What is the increase in the pressure in psi exerted on the submarine when it dives to a depth of 172 ft below the free surface? Assume that the acceleration due to...
  45. F

    Can English be learned with a dictionary alone?

    So I had no idea what forum this question should have been posted in, but here it is... Is it possible for a person, (like for example a Chinese man, or for even more simply, an alien), that knows literally 0 words in the English language, to pick up an English dictionary (assuming that he...
  46. S

    Where can I find English translations of seminal quantum physics papers?

    I am aware that Dover has a compendium of some of the early works from 1907-1926 (I think), but I am looking for later ones, specifically the papers of Vladimir Fock in Z. Phys. where he develops the Fock operator, and the Dirac-Fock operator (these are from 1929-1931 I think). I can sort of...
  47. Evo

    Help with Early Welsh & Middle English

    I'm trying to learn Mid Welsh because I am running into it more and more. I've just started reading "An introduction to early Welsh". http://www.archive.org/stream/introductiontoea00strauoft#page/4/mode/2up I was wondering if anyone knew of other books that might be better. I don't need...
  48. Femme_physics

    What is the Correct Translation for Regression Rule in Mathematics?

    Trying to translate a mathematical term from Hebrew to English ("regression rule") If I translate it word by word in Hebrew, it's the "regression rule" Such as, I am told that "a series is defined for every natural n by the regression rule"...
  49. G

    Schools University fpr Engineering Physics in an english speaking country

    Hello I'm a student from Germany and I'm studying Engineering Physics in the end of the 5th semester. I really want to study in an english speaking country like USA, Australia or UK. It is the biggest dream I ever had. Unfortunally I never was the best student in my courses. I would say...
  50. P

    Pressure to Force to Mass with English units

    Homework Statement A pressure of 3000atm is measured with a dead-weight gauge. The piston diameter is 0.17in. What is the mass in pound-mass (lbm)?Homework Equations 1) P=F/A 2) F=PA 3) F=mg 4) F/g=mThe Attempt at a Solution I first used the given diameter to find the cross-sectional area of...
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