Why is english so close to german ? or vice versa?

Question

Why is english so close to german ? or vice versa?

Answer 1

They both developed from a common source, & people.

Modern English was influenced by the Norman Conquest (French).

Answer 2

Actually, English is considered a Germanic language.

It traces its roots to the language spoken by two germanic tribes- the Angles and the Saxons- which invaded England around the 5th century AD.

Modern German is also derived from this same early language.

In many cases, nouns for common objects are very similar in English and German. (such as house/haus, bread/brot, gold/gold, red/rot, angel/engel- there are literally thousands more)

However English grammar was also heavily influenced by the early form of French spoken by the Normans, who invaded England in the 11th century.

Answer 3

Many European languages are similar.

Such As French And Spanish.

Maybe the germans extracted words from the english language or visa versa.

Answer 4

Put it this way, if a certain William of Normandy hadn't succeeded in invading England in 1066, the English language nowadays would have a lot more in common with German.