Conquering a Language

If you can read this post, the Norman Invasion of 1066 has impacted your life. This conquest permanently and significantly altered the English language, bringing it from its German roots into the more Romantically influenced language we know today.

English has its roots in Anglo-Saxon, an offshoot of German. (In fact, this is where the term English comes from, "Angle-ish".) Old English is very close to Anglo-Saxon, and is indecipherable to the modern reader today, requiring translation in order to read Old English literature such as Beowulf.

Old English evolved on its own for many centuries, until in 1066 something drastically changed the course of the language. William the Conqueror took over, and imposed Norman rulership on the British Isles. For many years, English rulers were actually French, and French became the language associated with privilege. The aristocracy spoke French, while the common people spoke English. As lines blurred, and middle class people learned to speak both, there emerged a common language, a combination of the two. English had a structure and basic vocabulary rooted in German, but many new words came from French, and conventions began to change a little.

Over time, this cross-cultural contact has caused English to evolve into its present form. Foreign language students find Germanic and Romantic languages similar to English, and often find them easier to learn than other languages. This is due to the German roots and French influences that shaped English. Additonally, cross-cultural contact is the driving force behind many of our new words; borrowing from other languages is the source of many new terms.

Source: Lecture notes by Dr. Ashley Shannon and Dr. Kathryn Remlinger.