Angles
/ˈæŋ.ɡəlz/noun
A West Germanic people who settled in Britain and gave their name to England and the English.
Did you know?The Angles were one of the Germanic groups that migrated to Britain in the early medieval period, and their name ultimately helped produce both England and English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂enǵʰ-
“to bend, curve, or narrow”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*anglaz
“possibly 'hook-shaped' or 'narrow'; the exact tribal-name origin is uncertain”
Latin
Latin
Anglii
“the Angles, a Germanic people known to the Romans”
Old English
English
Engle
“the Angles, later used more broadly for the English people”
Old English
English
Englaland
“land of the Angles; England”
Modern English
English
Angles
“the Angles, or the plural form of angle in general usage”