Quiz: Where did the English language come from?

Select the correct answer for each question and click on the button at the bottom of the page to see your score...

1. 'Old English' was the language of tribes who invaded Britain from the East. They spoke different dialects of a(n)
American language
Russian language
Germanic language
2. The Vikings invaded Britain in 878 AD. Where did they come from?
Scandinavia
Scotland
Italy
3. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066 what language was spoken by the Royal Court and the ruling class?
Old English
French
Portuguese


By about 1200, the Kingdoms of England and France were no longer one unit. Old English came back but had many French words added to it. This language was 'Middle English'...

4. Middle English was used by the poet...
Shakespeare
Byron
Chaucer
5. Who was the most famous writer to write in English during the 16th century?
Shakespeare
Keats
Chaucer
6. What was the bestseller in England in 1611?
Harry Potter
War and Peace
The King James Bible


English has been influenced by many different languages and continues to change and develop...

7. 'kangaroo' and 'boomerang' are:
Native American words
Australian Aboriginal words
Chinese words
8. The words 'juggernaut' and 'turban' come from:
Russia
Morocco
India
9. The word 'potato' comes from:
Italy
Canada
Haiti
10. The word 'ketchup' comes from:
America
China
Sweden
11. The word 'shampoo' comes from:
Germany
India
Egypt
12. How many native speakers of English are there in the world?
about 3 million
about 300 million
about 3 trillion