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English
(redirected from Englishness)

   Also found in: Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
Eng·lish  (ngglsh)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of England or its people or culture.
2. Of or relating to the English language.
n.
1. (used with a pl. verb) The people of England.
2.
a. The West Germanic language of England, the United States, and other countries that are or have been under English influence or control.
b. The English language of a particular time, region, person, or group of persons: American English.
3. A translation into or an equivalent in the English language.
4. A course or individual class in the study of English language, literature, or composition.
5. also english
a. The spin given to a propelled ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist.
b. Bodily movement in an effort to influence the movement of a propelled object; body English.
tr.v. Eng·lished, Eng·lish·ing, Eng·lish·es
1. To translate into English.
2. To adapt into English; Anglicize.

[Middle English, from Old English Englisc, from Engle, the Angles.]

English·ness n.
Word History: English is derived from England, one would think. But in fact the language name is found long before the country name. The latter first appears as Englaland around the year 1000, and means "the land of the Engle," that is, the Angles. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were the three Germanic tribes who emigrated from what is now Denmark and northern Germany and settled in England beginning about the fourth century a.d. Early on, the Angles enjoyed a rise to power that must have made them seem more important than the other two tribes, for all three tribes are indiscriminately referred to in early documents as Angles. The speech of the three tribes was conflated in the same way: they all spoke what would have been called *Anglisc, or "Anglish," as it were. By the earliest recorded Old English, this had changed to Englisc. In Middle English, the first vowel had already changed further to the familiar () of today, as reflected in the occasional spellings Ingland and Inglish. Thus the record shows that the Germanic residents of what Shakespeare called "this sceptered isle" knew that they were speaking English long before they were aware that they were living in England.

English
Adjective
of England or the English language
Noun
the principal language of Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, and several other countries
Noun, pl
the English the people of England

English
See also language.

1. a word, idiom, or feature of the English language occurring in or borrowed by another language.
2. U.S. a Briticism.
3. any manner, idea, or custom typical of the English people. Also called Englishism.
an authority on the English language or English literature.
a word or phrase characteristic of speakers of English in Britain and not usually used by English speakers elsewhere.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.English - an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
West Germanic, West Germanic language - a branch of the Germanic languages
American English, American language, American - the English language as used in the United States
cockney - the nonstandard dialect of natives of the east end of London
geordie - the nonstandard dialect of natives of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
King's English, Queen's English - English as spoken by educated persons in southern England
Received Pronunciation - the approved pronunciation of British English; originally based on the King's English as spoken at public schools and at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (and widely accepted elsewhere in Britain); until recently it was the pronunciation of English used in British broadcasting
Middle English - English from about 1100 to 1450
Modern English - English since about 1450
Old English, Anglo-Saxon - English prior to about 1100
Oxford English - the dialect of English spoken at Oxford University and regarded by many as affected and pretentious
Scots, Scots English, Scottish - the dialect of English used in Scotland
2.English - the people of England
nation, country, land - the people who live in a nation or country; "a statement that sums up the nation's mood"; "the news was announced to the nation"; "the whole country worshipped him"
3.English - the discipline that studies the English language and literature
arts, humanistic discipline, humanities, liberal arts - studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills); "the college of arts and sciences"
4.English - (sports) the spin given to a ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist
athletics, sport - an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
spin - a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)
Adj.1.English - of or relating to or characteristic of England or its culture or people; "English history"; "the English landed aristocracy"; "English literature"
2.English - of or relating to the English language
Translations
English [ˈɪŋglɪʃ] adjinglés/esa
n (LING) → el inglés;
the English npllos ingleses

English [ˈɪŋglɪʃ] adjanglais(e)
n (Ling) → anglais m;
the English nplles Anglais;
an English speaker → un anglophone

English [ˈɪŋglɪʃ] adjenglisch
nEnglisch nt;
the English npldie Engländer pl;
an English speaker → jd, der Englisch spricht

English [ˈɪŋglɪʃ] adjinglese
n (LING) → inglese m;
the English nplgli Inglesi;
to be an English speaker → essere anglofono(a)

English
adj English [ˈiŋgliʃ]
of England or its inhabitants three English people; the English language. Engelse إنْجليزي английски anglický engelsk englisch αγγλικός, Άγγλος inglés inglise انگلیسی englantilainen, Englannin anglais אַנגלִי इंग्लैंड या वहां के लोगों का engleski angol Inggris enskur inglese 英国 (人) の 영국(인)의 anglų, angliškas angļu- Inggeris Engels engelsk angielski inglês englez английский anglický angleški engleski engelsk เกี่ยวกับประเทศอังกฤษ İngiliz 英格蘭的,英格蘭人 англійський انگلستان کا یا انگلستان کے لوگوں یا زبان سے متعلق thuộc nước Anh
n
the main language of England and the rest of Britain, North America, a great part of the British Commonwealth and some other countries He speaks English. Engels اللغة الإنْجليزيَّه английски език angličtina engelsk das Englisch η αγγλική γλώσσα inglés inglise keel زبان انگلیسی englanti anglais אַנגלִית अंग्रेजी भाषा engleski jezik angol bahasa Inggris enska inglese 英語 영어 anglų kalba angļu valoda Bahasa Inggeris Engels engelsk język angielski inglês (limba) engleză английский язык angličtina angleščina engleski jezik engelska ภาษาอังกฤษ İngilizce 英語 англійська мова انگریزی زبان tiếng Anh
n Englishman
a person born in England. Engels, Rooinek شَخْص إنْجليزي англичанин Angličan, -ka englænder der/die Engländer(in) Άγγλος, Αγγλίδα inglés; inglesa inglane اهل انگلیس؛ مرد انگلیسی englantilainen Anglais, aise אַנגלִי अंग्रेज Englez, Engleskinja angol ember orang Inggris Englendingur inglese 英国人 영국인 anglas, anglė anglis orang Inggeris Engelsman engelskmann; engelsk kvinne Anglik inglês englez англичанин; англичанка Angličan, -ka Anglež, Angležinja Englez engelsman, engelska ชาวอังกฤษ İngiliz (erkek/kadın) 英國人 англієць انگلستان میں پیدا ہوا کوئی شخص người Anh


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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
Her affected old-timey Englishness can be grating, and when you see her opposite Emily Watson (playing Norman's sister), you daydream about what Watson would have done with the part.
He seemed to cultivate his Englishness and to relish in exhibiting it--whether out of deliberate preference or as an educational ploy, or both.
Out of Place: Englishness, Empire and the Location of Identity.
 
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