what is the definition of english ?

Englishis aWest Germanic languagethat was first spoken inearly medieval Englandand is now a globallingua franca.It is spoken as a first language by the majority populations of several sovereign states, including theUnited Kingdom, theUnited States,Canada,Australia,Ireland,New Zealandand a number ofCaribbeannations; and it is anofficial languageofalmost 60 sovereign states. It is the third-most-common native language in the world, afterMandarin ChineseandSpanish.It is widely learned as asecond languageand is anofficial language of the European Union, manyCommonwealthcountries and theUnited Nations, as well as in many world organisations.