'English-lover' originates from Modern English, formed by combining 'English' (relating to England or the English language) and 'lover' (one who loves).

'English' comes from Old English 'Englisc', from the name of the Angles (a Germanic tribe), while 'lover' comes from Old English 'lufere'/'lufian' (related to 'lufu' meaning 'love'); the compound 'English-lover' is a modern concatenation of these elements.

Initially, the elements meant 'of the English (people or language)' and 'one who loves'; the compound's meaning — a person who loves English — is a straightforward modern combination with little semantic shift.