'English-speaker' originates from Modern English, formed by the combination of 'English' and 'speaker'. 'English' ultimately comes from Old English 'Englisc' (from the Angles, 'Engle') meaning 'of the Angles', and 'speaker' derives from Old English 'sprecan' / 'specan' meaning 'to speak'.

'English' changed from Old English 'Englisc' (related to the tribal name 'Engle' for the Angles) into Middle English 'Englissh' and then modern 'English'; 'speaker' developed from Old English verbs 'sprecan/specan' to Middle English 'speken'/'speker' and eventually the modern noun 'speaker'. Together they formed the compound noun 'English-speaker'.

Initially the parts referred to 'of the Angles' (English) and an agent who speaks (speaker); over time the compound came to mean 'a person who speaks the English language'.