The English language (English [ɪʃlɪʃ] or English language) is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and extended to the north in what would become the southeast of Scotland, under the influence of the Kingdom of Northumbria.

Due to the political, economic, military, scientific and cultural influence of Britain and the United Kingdom since the 18th century, through the British Empire and the United States of America since the middle of the 20th century, 3 4 5 6 English has been Widely distributed all over the world and is the main language of international speech and lingua franca in many regions.