Pie Chart

Explanation: This pie chart shows the percentage of languages from which the English words in the modern dictionary. 29% of today's English words have been derived form French. Another 29% of the words have their roots from Latin. The third major chunk is received from Germanic Languages, i.e. Old/Middle English, Old Norse and Dutch at 26%. 4% of the words are derived from proper nouns. Some words are derived from Greek (6%) and the remaining are from other unknown languages( 6%).

Interpretation: The above pie-chart proves beyond doubt that English is a hybrid language. It is surprising that only 26% of the words in use today are derived from Germanic languages. Also, it is ironic that England's archaic rival was France in the annals of history but French has contributed nearly 29% of our modern English dictionary! Contrary to old adages which equate Greek and Latin, only 6% of English's words have their roots in Greek whereas Latin is the parent of a whopping 29% of the words. As time marches on, some rules bend. This is evident from the fact that 4% of English words have been derived from proper nouns. The remaining words have their roots from other languages, a clear by-product of imperialism. After this analysis, one need not wonder why there are so many exceptions in English!