English is picking up brilliant new words from around the world – and that’s a gift | Danica Salazar

From lepak' to deurmekaar', terms borrowed from its 1.75 billion global speakers are enriching the language we share

Who owns the English language? The answer to this question is no longer as straightforward as the English". According to the latest figures from the British Council, English is spoken at a useful level" by about 1.75 billion people. Counted among this vast anglophone population are not only the hundreds of millions who speak English as a first language, but also the hundreds of millions more who speak it as a second or foreign language in different parts of the world.

English spread across the globe largely as a result of imperialism, as the language was imposed on colonies in Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. When these former colonies achieved independence, many chose to retain the use of English, usually to function as a primary working language and neutral medium of communication for their diverse populations. As countries such as India, Nigeria, South Africa, Jamaica and Singapore adopted English as a language, they also adapted it - making significant changes to its pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, and giving rise to new varieties now collectively known as World Englishes.

Danica Salazar is a lexicographer at Oxford Languages, where she leads editorial projects on world varieties of English