German is widely considered among the easier languages for native English speakers to pick up. That’s because these languages are true linguistic siblings—originating from the exact same mother tongue. In fact, eighty of the hundred most used words in English are of Germanic origin.

German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language after English. The majority of its vocabulary derives from the ancient Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, while a smaller share is partly derived from Latin and Greek, along with fewer words borrowed from French and Modern English.

English, having its major roots in Germanic languages, derives most of its grammar from Old English. As a result of the Norman Conquest, it has been heavily influenced, more than any other Germanic language, by French and Latin.

English is a Germanic language, with a grammar and a core vocabulary inherited from Proto-Germanic. However, a significant portion of the English vocabulary comes from Romance and Latinate sources.

Apart from Latin and Greek, the Welsh language has the oldest literature in Europe. The earliest Welsh poetry, around 580, by the poets Aneirin and Taliesin, describes the battles of the Welsh against the English invaders.

English

And The Easiest Language To Learn Is…

1. Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers.
2. Swedish.
3. Spanish.
4. Dutch.
5. Portuguese.
6. Indonesian.
7. Italian.
8. French.

Sweden

The Netherlands

According to the European Commission’s Eurobarometer data the top five are:

• Ireland (over 97% English speakers)
• The UK (over 94% English speakers)
• Malta (over 62% English speakers)
• Sweden (over 53% English speakers)
• Denmark (over 52% English speakers)

1 overall for providing a good quality of life.” The seven European countries ranked in the top 10 are Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland and Germany.