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English in computing
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<p>The <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English language</a> is sometimes described as the <i><a href="/facts/Lingua_franca/dlGrD7ra">lingua franca</a></i> of computing. In comparison to other sciences, where <a href="/facts/Latin/pM3Kge85">Latin</a> and <a href="/facts/Greek_language/pzDd6eIz">Greek</a> predominate, <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a> utilizes English as its primary conduit. </p><p>The prevalence of English in computing is a consequence of both historical and technical factors. The <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> and the <a href="/facts/United_Kingdom/kuPAILt2">United Kingdom</a> — both <a href="/facts/English-speaking_countries/qaq1SXu4">countries with English-speaking majorities</a> — had prominent roles in the development and popularization of computer systems, <a href="/facts/Computer_network/3w5RM99p">computer networks</a>, <a href="/facts/Software/RP79lVSW">software</a> and <a href="/facts/Information_technology/glMzunwe">information technology</a>. </p><p>Moreover, the technical limitations of early computers, combined with the lack of international standardization on the <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a>, meant that English continued to dominate computing until innovations in internet infrastructure and increases in computer speed changed these earlier conditions. The domination of English, however, should not overshadow the technological innovations and additions to computer science that utilize other languages. Also, many widely used English-based technologies were not produced in the United States or the United Kingdom. For example, <a href="/facts/Ruby_/BeYSaPSR">Ruby</a> was made in Japan. </p><p>While English is still influential to various other languages with regard to computers and computing technologies, now most software products are <a href="/facts/Internationalization_and_localization/IGkl9VBM">localized</a> in numerous languages and the invention of <a href="/facts/Unicode/DDu3MfPV">Unicode</a> character encoding has resolved problems with non-Latin alphabets. </p>