Is there any language close to english??

Answer 1

Frisian is considered the closest living language to English. However, the two languages aren't mutually intelligible in the same way that for example written Portuguese and Spanish are. At one time, though, Frisian and Old English were so similar that the two languages could have been classified as dialects of the same language. The Norman conquest of England, with its heavy Latin influences, forever altered the English language so that it is no longer intelligible to the Frisian speaker or any other Germanic language speaker. Holland's annexation of Friesland many years later brought Frisian closer to the Dutch language.

There is, however, an old Frisian rhyme that lives on to this day and points out the two languages' commonality:

"Bûter, brea, en grien tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Fries."

Translation: "Butter, bread, and green cheese (is) good English and good Frisian."

Answer 2

I was wondering about that too, because i was curious if there was, because I know a little bit of my own slavic language and I'm not fluent in it and so i would not understand to well with other close slavic languages sadly, but only curious with English if another one close to it, but once I heard Dutch a little sound like english.

Answer 3

frisian has already been mentioned but lallans ('scots') is even closer to english.

so close in fact that many would consider lallans to be a dialect of english, but in fact the two languages are not always reciprocally intelligible. (try reading hugh mcdiarmuid's 'a drunk man looks at the thistle'. an english speaker can understand most of it - but by no means all).

the question is of course when does something become a 'different' language. many people regard scots as a dialect of english, but would call czech and slovak different languages. in fact an educated czech would find it easier to understand slovak than an educated english speaker would be able to scots. but neither would be able to 'speak' the other language correctly.

Answer 4

English is based on the Germanic languages but it has a lot of Latinate words taken from French. Frisian (which no one speaks) is considered to be the language closest to English, but it still doesn't have the huge percentage of Latinate words that English does.

Answer 5

English comes from the Germanic languages, so German is pretty close.

Answer 6

I would say that Dutch is very close. When you read it, it seems to be a cross between English and German.

Answer 7

English falls under Germanic languages so you will hear many familiar sounds and words around German and Dutch speakers (ex. "Wilkommen" (German) - Welcome, "frei" - free).

Answer 8

There is. The dialect that people speak in the USA

Answer 9

American is a bit like it.