English is a Germanic language, but its lexicon (vocabulary) has borrowed heavily from other languages.
Most of these loanwords have arrived for specific historical reasons: most notably the invasions of the British Isles that occurred before the 13th Century
The Romans, for example, introduced words to describe the physical character of the country they were occupying: street, wall, etc. Norman French legal terminology: judge, jury, justice, court, bailiff, defendant, verdict, etc.
Isn't English really a Latinate/Romance language then?
No. Loanwords do not affect the structure of the English language. An English speaker may use the word ballet, but he will not say a dancer of ballet‚ as you would in French, Spanish, etc.
A few imported terms retain their original syntax. The United Nations has a secretary general, while the chief officer of the English legal system is the attorney general. But these are rare exceptions.
A few imported terms retain their original syntax. The United Nations has a secretary general, while the chief officer of the English legal system is the attorney general. But these are rare exceptions.