As much as 80 percent of the English vocabulary has been borrowed from other languages. Words enter the language when English speakers interact with people—through exploration, trade, empire building, education, the arts, and technology—who speak other languages. This program investigates the wealth of English words and phrases stemming from Indian, Greek, Latin, and Japanese origins, as well as the influence of English on other languages. Packed with interesting words and anecdotes, this is an ideal resource to better understand the complex and fascinating ways that English has evolved into the rich, expressive language we know today.

Originally released by Video Education America (VEA), 2014. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on August 30, 2018.

Borrowed Words: How Languages Influence Each Other (11:58); .