If you ask (average) Americans where their language (comes from), they will (probably) say “England.” (However), English (vocabulary) has also been (influenced) by other countries and groups of (people). Some words (are borrowed) from other languages, (such as) typhoon, which (originally) came from the Chinese word, “tai-fung,” meaning “big wind.” Skunk, the name of a small, (smelly), black-and-white animal, came to English from a (Native) American language. African Americans, too, have both (contributed) new words to English and changed the (meanings) of some existing words.
African Americans, many of whose (ancestors) were brought to the States (as) (slaves) hundreds of years ago, (have introduced) (a number of) words to English from languages that they spoke in their (native countries). The (common) English word OK is used (around the world) today, but it was (not always) part of English vocabulary. One (theory) is that slaves in America used a (phrase) in their own language that (sounded like) OK to mean “all right.” Americans heard the phrase and started using it. Today, (almost) everyone in the world uses OK to mean “all right.”
The meanings of words sometimes change (over time.) The word cool is a good (example.) Cool has been used in English (for a long time) to (describe) a (temperature) that is “not warm but not too cold” or to describe a person who is “(calm)” or “(unemotional.)” (However), an (additional) meaning was given to the word cool (in the past 100 years). (Just like) the word jazz, African American musicians used the word cool to describe the music they were playing. For them, cool meant “good.” (As) jazz music and other (forms) of music played by African American musicians became popular, more and more people started to use the word cool (in conversation). Today, it is still a (commonly) used word, (especially) by younger people, to mean “good” or “great.”
English (owes) some of its interesting and (colorful) vocabulary to African Americans.(Ethnic groups) in the United States (as well as) new (immigrants) will (surely) continue to bring new words to English and give (fresh) meanings to existing word. Who knows what the “cool” words of tomorrow will be?