British English

British English refers to the native language of most inhabitants of England. It is distinct from English used in other regions like the U.S. or Australia. The English language itself is polyglot, drawing from many sources, but its primary roots are in the Anglo-Saxons who colonized England in the 5th and 6th centuries.12

Over time, English has been influenced by various languages, including Old Norse due to Danish occupation, and Norman French after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Despite Norman French becoming the language of the court, English re-established itself as an official language by 1362. The Renaissance brought in Latin and Greek, and later, exploration and empire building introduced words from across the globe.2

Distinctive British spellings, such as "centre" and "honour," are often noted in dictionaries and differ from American English conventions, which have seen some simplifications introduced by Noah Webster. While Received Pronunciation (RP) is traditionally associated with London and southeastern England, it is one of many accents within the English-speaking world.34