The Norman Conquest and the French Influence on Middle English
Transilvania University of Brasov
Faculty of Letters
Department of English
THE NORMAN CONQUEST
AND
THE FRENCH INFLUENCE ON MIDDLE ENGLISH
SENTENCE OUTLINE
I. INTRODUCTION
General aspects about the origin of the English language
Brief presentation of the Norman Conquest
II. ENGLISH, FRENCH, LATIN - THREE LANGUAGES IN USE
Aspects of the social and political transformations occured after the Conquest
The roles of each on the three languages in the society of the time
III. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH SPELLING AND PRONOUNCIATION
Influences on the way the sounds were rendered
Influences on the pronounciation of the sounds
IV. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY
French-loan words and the fields they belonged to
Other elements of vocabulary borrowed from French
V. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR
The transition from an inflected to an analytical language
Modifications in the English grammar on the French model
VI. CONCLUSION
Reassuming of the main points
The French contribution to the complexity of the contemporary English
ABSTRACT
The present Academic Paper is compiled to assess the political, social and especially the linguistic consequences of the Norman Conquest on the English language. Thus, the paper discusses the historical background of these transformations and the changes that they produced in the society of the era. Moreover, it focuses on the features of the coexistence of Latin, French and English in the same geographical space, as well as on the reestablishment of English as an offcial language. Furthermore, it provides an insight into the linguistic aspects of the matter and highlights the effects of the Norman Invasion in this field by analysing the main French influences on the English phonetics, vocabulary and grammar. To conclude with, the paper mentions the defining French contribution to the complexity of the Middle, as well as on the Modern, contemporary English language.
KEYWORDS
the Norman
Faculty of Letters
Department of English
THE NORMAN CONQUEST
AND
THE FRENCH INFLUENCE ON MIDDLE ENGLISH
SENTENCE OUTLINE
I. INTRODUCTION
General aspects about the origin of the English language
Brief presentation of the Norman Conquest
II. ENGLISH, FRENCH, LATIN - THREE LANGUAGES IN USE
Aspects of the social and political transformations occured after the Conquest
The roles of each on the three languages in the society of the time
III. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH SPELLING AND PRONOUNCIATION
Influences on the way the sounds were rendered
Influences on the pronounciation of the sounds
IV. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH VOCABULARY
French-loan words and the fields they belonged to
Other elements of vocabulary borrowed from French
V. FRENCH INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR
The transition from an inflected to an analytical language
Modifications in the English grammar on the French model
VI. CONCLUSION
Reassuming of the main points
The French contribution to the complexity of the contemporary English
ABSTRACT
The present Academic Paper is compiled to assess the political, social and especially the linguistic consequences of the Norman Conquest on the English language. Thus, the paper discusses the historical background of these transformations and the changes that they produced in the society of the era. Moreover, it focuses on the features of the coexistence of Latin, French and English in the same geographical space, as well as on the reestablishment of English as an offcial language. Furthermore, it provides an insight into the linguistic aspects of the matter and highlights the effects of the Norman Invasion in this field by analysing the main French influences on the English phonetics, vocabulary and grammar. To conclude with, the paper mentions the defining French contribution to the complexity of the Middle, as well as on the Modern, contemporary English language.
KEYWORDS
the Norman
References: 1. Baugh, Albert C. and Cable, Thomas (1993) ”A History of the English Language”. London: Routledge 2. Blake, N. F. (1996) ”A History of the English Language”. Hampshire and London: Macmillan 3. Iarovici, Edith (1970) ”A History of the English Language”. Bucuresti: Editura Didactica si Pedagogica 4. Knowles, Gerry (1997) ”A Cultural History of the English Language”. London: Arnold 5. McCrum, Robert and MacNeil, Robert and Cran, William (2002) ”The Story of English”. New York: BBC Books