--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The English language is the tongue now…" description: "\"“The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the United Sta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/joseph-devlin-30655_angles_the-english-language-is-the-tongue-now-c_273954.jpg" --- # The English language is the tongue now current in England… ![“The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the United States of America. It sprang from the German tongue spoken by the Teutons, who came over to Britain after the conquest of that country by the Romans…” quote by Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/joseph-devlin-30655_angles_the-english-language-is-the-tongue-now-c_273954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/joseph-devlin-30655_angles_the-english-language-is-the-tongue-now-c_273954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7e/joseph-devlin-30655_angles_the-english-language-is-the-tongue-now-c_273954.jpg) > ““The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the United States of America. It sprang from the German tongue spoken by the Teutons, who came over to Britain after the conquest of that country by the Romans. These Teutons comprised Angles, Saxons, Jutes and several other tribes from the northern part of Germany. They spoke different dialects, but these became blended in the new country, and the composite tongue came to be known as the Anglo-Saxon which has been the main basis for the language as at present constituted and is still the prevailing element.”” [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines the historical development of English from Germanic roots, emphasizing the blend of Anglian dialects into the modern Anglo‑Saxon foundation that dominates today. **In simple terms:** English evolved from Germanic tribes mixing in Britain. Key Takeaway Recognize language as a living, blended heritage. Themes history linguistics colonialism identity Mood reflective analytical Type historical educational When to use this quote - education curricula - heritage preservation - colonial policy discussions - language teaching - public discourse Key Concepts Germanic roots language evolution cultural diffusion Questions to Reflect On - How does linguistic blending shape cultural identity? - What role do later influences play in today’s English? A Different Perspective The quote overlooks the influence of later borrowings (Latin, French, global languages) on modern English. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angles/) [Anglo saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anglo-saxon/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english/) [English language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-language/) [German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/german/) [German Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/german-tongue-2672339/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-present-2672340/) [Language Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-tongue-2672338/) [Romans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romans/) [Saxons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saxons/) [Teutons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teutons-185048/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [United states of america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states-of-america/) ## Related quotes > [“In the German tongue, in the Polish town Scraped flat by the roller Of wars, wars, wars ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/in-the-german-tongue-in-the-polish-town-scraped-flat-by-the-roller-of/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“People who notice birds are all listening in the same language, and it's always in the present tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-munson/people-who-notice-birds-are-all-listening-in-the-same-language-and-it/) [Laura Munson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-munson/) > [The English language on her tongue became a smoke-screen, without her eyes changing expression in the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/the-english-language-on-her-tongue-became-a-smoke-screen-without-her/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“This must be the taste of Language— the tongue mapped by many colors, parsed by the vowels of memory, the roof of the mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-m-evasco/this-must-be-the-taste-of-language-the-tongue-mapped-by-many-colors/) [Marjorie M. Evasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-m-evasco/) > [“The New Testament’s vision of Christian behavior has to do, not with struggling to keep a bunch of ancient and apparently arbitrary rules, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-new-testament-s-vision-of-christian-behavior-has-to-do-not-with/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“In this ideal of justice the apparent conflict between the theories of law and the practice of everyday life is accounted for. The Teutons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhelm-gr-nbech/in-this-ideal-of-justice-the-apparent-conflict-between-the-theories/) [Vilhelm Grønbech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhelm-gr-nbech/) > [“...Turn our thoughts, in the next place, to the characters of learned men. The priesthood have, in all ancient nations, nearly monopolized learning. Read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/turn-our-thoughts-in-the-next-place-to-the-characters-of-learned-men/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The Teutons have been singing the swan song ever since they entered the ranks of history. They have always confounded truth with death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-teutons-have-been-singing-the-swan-song-ever-since-they-entered/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [ “...\[T\]he Normans, with the usual policy of conquerors, were jealous of permitting to the vanquished Saxons the possession or the use of swords and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/t-he-normans-with-the-usual-policy-of-conquerors-were-jealous-of/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [Anglo Saxons: To blame for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/anglo-saxons-to-blame-for-everything/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“The first thing that strikes the historian, as he surveys the written records of the Anglo-Saxons, is that they were a litigious people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-hannan/the-first-thing-that-strikes-the-historian-as-he-surveys-the-written/) [Daniel Hannan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-hannan/) > [ Every wave of immigrants who came \[to America\] were treated pretty badly, but when they all finally became integrated, all of us became Anglo-Saxons. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/every-wave-of-immigrants-who-came-to-america-were-treated-pretty/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [For the Anglo-Saxons, food determined a person's position in society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/for-the-anglo-saxons-food-determined-a-person-s-position-in-society/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [The story is also about the battle between Arthur and the Saxons. The Saxons were destroying everything they came across and Arthur was left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/the-story-is-also-about-the-battle-between-arthur-and-the-saxons-the/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [We have a lot of black Anglo-Saxons. Their skin is black, but their brain is white. When I get real mad at them, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/we-have-a-lot-of-black-anglo-saxons-their-skin-is-black-but-their/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) ## More by Joseph Devlin > [“subjects. Directions. CHAPTER XIII CHOICE OF WORDS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/subjects-directions-chapter-xiii-choice-of-words/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [Shakespeare was not a scholar in the sense we regard the term to-day, yet no man ever lived or probably ever will live that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/shakespeare-was-not-a-scholar-in-the-sense-we-regard-the-term-to-day/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“Every person of intelligence should be able to use his mother tongue correctly. It only requires a little pains, a little care, a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/every-person-of-intelligence-should-be-able-to-use-his-mother-tongue/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [There is an old Latin quotation in regard to the poet which says 'Poeta nascitur non fit' the translation of which is- the poet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/there-is-an-old-latin-quotation-in-regard-to-the-poet-which-says/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“The greatest scholar alive hasn't more than four thousand different words at his command, and he never has occasion to use half the number.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/the-greatest-scholar-alive-hasn-t-more-than-four-thousand-different/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In employing the long sentence the inexperienced writer should not strain after the heavy, ponderous type. Johnson and Carlyle used such a type, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-employing-the-long-sentence-the-inexperienced-writer-should-not/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [A child can learn what is right as easy as what is wrong and whatever impressions are made on the mind when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/a-child-can-learn-what-is-right-as-easy-as-what-is-wrong-and-whatever/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“plural is generally formed from the singular by the addition of s or es.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/plural-is-generally-formed-from-the-singular-by-the-addition-of-s-or/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“ Every person of intelligence should be able to use his mother tongue correctly . It only requires a little pains, a little care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/every-person-of-intelligence-should-be-able-to-use-his-mother-tongue-2/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In order to speak and write the English language correctly, it is imperative that the fundamental principles of the Grammar be mastered, for no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-order-to-speak-and-write-the-english-language-correctly-it-is/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“Homeward the ploughman plods his weary way. The ploughman plods his weary way homeward. Plods homeward the ploughman his weary way. His weary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/homeward-the-ploughman-plods-his-weary-way-the-ploughman-plods-his/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“In the works of Shakespeare , the most wonderful genius the world has ever known, there is the enormous number of 15,000 different words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/in-the-works-of-shakespeare-the-most-wonderful-genius-the-world-has/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [ “...\[T\]he three greatest works are those of Homer , Dante and Shakespeare . These are closely followed by the works of Virgil and Milton .” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/t-he-three-greatest-works-are-those-of-homer-dante-and-shakespeare/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [To use a big word or a foreign word when a small one and a familiar one will answer the same purpose, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/to-use-a-big-word-or-a-foreign-word-when-a-small-one-and-a-familiar/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) > [“ Shakespeare used the word 'flush' to indicate plenty of money. Well, just remember there was only one Shakespeare , and he was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-devlin/shakespeare-used-the-word-flush-to-indicate-plenty-of-money-well-just/) [Joseph Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) [Explore all 17 Joseph Devlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-devlin/) ## More Angles quotes > [Los Angles to me seems to be a little bit more forgiving. They're just as rowdy and they're just as excited but they understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/los-angles-to-me-seems-to-be-a-little-bit-more-forgiving-they-re-just/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [“Cock your hats, angles are attitudes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/cock-your-hats-angles-are-attitudes/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Any time you do opposing camera angles, there's gonna be some compromise in the lighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-spiller/any-time-you-do-opposing-camera-angles-there-s-gonna-be-some/) [Michael Spiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-spiller/) > [I've been asked to write an autobiography, and I've started it a couple of times, on different angles, and maybe one day I will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-saxon/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-an-autobiography-and-i-ve-started-it-a/) [John Saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-saxon/) > [Other men see angles but I have seen thee and thou art enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/other-men-see-angles-but-i-have-seen-thee-and-thou-art-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In TV, you have no time and sort of just carpet bomb the scene with as many angles as possible as quickly as possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/in-tv-you-have-no-time-and-sort-of-just-carpet-bomb-the-scene-with-as/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [The thing with TV and filming is the timing is all faked anyway. You do it so many times, from so many different angles.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-bird/the-thing-with-tv-and-filming-is-the-timing-is-all-faked-anyway-you/) [Simon Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-bird/) > [Right angles don't attract me. Nor straight, hard and inflexible lines created by man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-niemeyer/right-angles-don-t-attract-me-nor-straight-hard-and-inflexible-lines/) [Oscar Niemeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-niemeyer/) > [I grew up in the backyard of music from all angles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quincy-brown/i-grew-up-in-the-backyard-of-music-from-all-angles/) [Quincy Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quincy-brown/) > [When I am performing live, I walk into a room, and I just try to get a feel for the vibe, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grandmaster-flash/when-i-am-performing-live-i-walk-into-a-room-and-i-just-try-to-get-a/) [Grandmaster Flash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grandmaster-flash/) > [“Mathematics effectively began when a few Greek friends got together to talk about numbers and lines and angles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/mathematics-effectively-began-when-a-few-greek-friends-got-together/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [I jumped off a cliff backwards for 'I Am Number Four,' which was pretty cool. I'd never done that before. It took seven takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-pettyfer/i-jumped-off-a-cliff-backwards-for-i-am-number-four-which-was-pretty/) [Alex Pettyfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-pettyfer/) > ['Babel' is about the point of view of others. It literally includes points of views as experienced from the other side. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/babel-is-about-the-point-of-view-of-others-it-literally-includes/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [There are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/there-are-an-infinity-of-angles-at-which-one-falls-only-one-at-which/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Now, I recognize that there are certain postures and angles that make people see red, which are evidence of original sin or something, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jock-sturges/now-i-recognize-that-there-are-certain-postures-and-angles-that-make/) [Jock Sturges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jock-sturges/) [Browse all 85 Angles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angles/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The English language is the tongue now current in England and her colonies throughout the world and also throughout the greater part of the United States of America. It sprang from the German tongue spoken by the Teutons, who came over to Britain after the conquest of that country by the Romans. These Teutons comprised Angles, Saxons, Jutes and several other tribes from the northern part of Germany. 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