If you’re unsure what “Anglish” means, you’re in luck! Let’s look at the importance and meaning of Anglish.
An Overview of How the English Language Was Created: A Brief History
English has borrowed heavily from other languages over the centuries (known as loanwords). This is one reason we have such a diverse vocabulary. England was in constant cultural contact with many tribes and races throughout its history. Roman, Viking and Norman invasions brought French, Latin, and Norse to Britain respectively.
The Angles, from which we get English, were originally a Germanic tribe that came from Denmark. After the fall the Roman Empire, they settled in the British Isles. They were joined by the Saxons later. The Anglo-Saxon language continued to flourish, but it wasn’t over.
The Vikings brought their language and later, the French to the islands. With the addition of new vocabulary, linguistic influences and constant growth, the English language has continued to develop and evolve.
It is difficult to even speak English these days without borrowing words from other sources. The majority of English vocabulary comes primarily from Latin, Greek German, French, German and other languages. Even the most common vocabulary, such as street, wine, marriage and take, is not Anglish.
Anglish – The “Pure English”
What then is Anglish? Anglish describes a form of English with as few borrowed terms as possible. Paul Jennings invented this term when he was writing articles for Punch in 1966. He also reflected on how English might have evolved without the Norman conquests.
Visit The Anglish Moot if you want to see Anglish at work. This wiki-type website has text written in modern English and no loanwords. It can be a bit difficult to read, but Anglish is very similar to modern English. It will give you a better understanding of how many loanwords English uses daily.
For example, take the first few paragraphs in the article about the USA. It is called The Banded folkdoms of Americksland in Anglish (BFA).
The Banded Folkdoms of Americksland, (BFA), is the most populated land in North Americksland. It consists of an evenly sized rike that has three branches of rike: Lawmootly (Leaderly), Lawlordly (Lawlordly). English is the principal language, although some Spanish is spoken.
Americksland (its abbreviated title) has the most landgeld and warband of all the countries and is considered the world’s lone Overrike, ever since the fall of Band of Workermootly Kithish Commonwealths.
Americksland remained a member of England until the Americkish Uprising. This began in 1776 with the Saying Forth of the Selfhood of the banded folkdoms of Americksland. Americksland fought many other wars over the years, including the War of 1812 and its wars with Mexico, Spain’s Americkish Kith War, and the two World Wars.