ABSTRACT
How many Portuguese, Mexican, Persian or Russian words do you know? If you think you've drawn a blank - think again. What about parasol, chocolate, caravan or mammoth? Add those to some of the better-known foreign words we already know about - pyjamas, bungalow and jungle (Indian), piano, umbrella and fiasco (Italian, or trash, janitor and hobo (American) - and the true extent of the influences that helped to form the English language becomes apparent. The basic Anglo-Saxon structure of our language flourished under a deluge of early influences - Greek and Latin, Scandinavian and French - and grew rich on the pickings of exploration, Empire and modern-day science and technology.
