Languages, inevitably, change over time. New words are borrowed or invented, the old meanings of words shift, and pronunciation evolves. The English language is no exception.
The migration patterns of people have always contributed to the development of languages, as speakers of different languages directly and indirectly influence one another through their interactions.
Political influence has also affected the growth of languages. English, which developed through Anglo-Saxon words interspersed with Celtic and Latin terms, was greatly influenced by the Norman conquest of England led by William, Duke of Normandy, following his decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066.
Norman French domination
Before the Norman conquest, the primary language in England was Anglo-Saxon, also called Old English, the ancestor of Middle English and Modern English. The Norman occupation marked the transition from Old English to Middle English and profoundly contributed to the English lexicon and grammar.
During the Norman period, for instance, the English language lost up to 85% of its Anglo-Saxon words and became a simple vernacular, the language of peasants and the uneducated. As spoken English declined and written English nearly disappeared, French gained more power and popularity among the general public and elite. It became the language of the rulers, the educated, and the upper classes and the official language of England for more than 300 years.
New vocabulary
French influence on the English language is most apparent in its vocabulary.
Under the Norman occupation, English embraced new words and expressions. Today, an estimated 30% of the modern English vocabulary derives from French. English speakers will also typically know at least 1,500 French words, without even needing to learn the language.
Words of French origin that have entered the English language include “abandon” from abandoner, “accord” from accorder, “adopt” from adopter, and “danger” from danger.
The Normans also greatly impacted key areas of vocabulary, such as politics. Examples include “cabinet” from cabinet, “minister” from ministre, “government” from gouvernement, “parliament” from parlement and “coup d’état.” Military terms include “military” from militaire, “army” from armée, and “commander” from commander.
Many legal terms which entered the English language possess an Anglo-Norman origin, as the Normans administered the judicial systems. These terms include “tribunal” from tribunal, “court” from cour, “jury” from jury, and “verdict” from verdict.
And although Latin served as the language of the church, several religious terms that survived in modern English were introduced by the Normans. Examples include “religion’”from religion, “virgin” from vierge, and “confession” from confession.
From the upper class to commoners
When King William brought French nobles to England, the new aristocracy of French-speakers introduced words for meats such as beef, veal, mutton, bacon, pork, and venison, common dishes among the elite. In the meantime, the Anglo-Saxon commoners, who tended the domestic animals, retained English words of German origin for animals such as ox, cow, calf, sheep, swine, and deer.
Nevertheless, as the Norman occupation continued, French extended beyond the aristocratic portion of society. Loanwords began to enter into the English lexicon, and French started to influence colloquial speech, gradually gaining more popularity and becoming more attractive to commoners.
French influence on the English language continued after the Norman conquest, adding more French words to the English vocabulary. The word “rendezvous” from rendez-vous entered English in late 16th century, “critique” in the mid-17th century, and “terrorism” from terrorisme in late 18th century, a reference to the rule of the Jacobin Club during the period of the French Revolution known as “the Terror” or “The Reign of Terror.”
The development of Grammar
Aside from lexical expansion, the development of English grammar is an important consequence of contact with French. The Norman influence was marked by the borrowing of a large number of French words, prefixes, and suffixes. English adopted prefixes like con-, de-, dis-, ex-, pre-, en-, pro-, trans- and suffixes such as -ee , -ance, -ant, -ation , -ment, -ism, -ity, -able, -al , -ous, -fy, -ize.
A French prefix was sometimes added to a native word to form a new word. Example: re + born = reborn
English also incorporated French syntactic patterns, phrases consisting of nouns followed by adjectives. Examples: court martial, attorney general, heir apparent.
Pronunciation
French, which many consider a charming and romantic language, added an additional layer of beauty to English. The noun “belle,” which dates back to the 17th century, is an example of a beautiful French word that is a part of modern English.
Many borrowed French words in English generally retain their original pronunciation. French word “corps” is still vocalized with its French pronunciation in English /kɔː/, and the (ps) at the end of the word is silent.
Words such as “ballet,” “bouquet,” and “filet” retained their silent “t.” They end with the pronunciation /eɪ/ rather than /Ət/ or /ɪt/, which can surprise learners who are not accustomed to this form of pronunciation.
Although French people did not pronounce the letter “h” at the beginning of a word, under the Norman influence, loanwords starting with “h” were vocalized both with and without the “h” in Middle English. Over time, however, “h” gradually came to be pronounced in all but a few words, such as “hour” and “honor.”
Idioms and phrases
French influence on the English language was not restricted to vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. French idioms also entered English, and they are used in both written and spoken English. Some of these idioms appear in their French forms such as “au contraire,” “force majeure,” “à la mode,” “vis à vis,” “bon appétit,” “bon voyage,” and “joie de vivre.”
English as a global language
Although English has been influenced by a variety of cultures and languages, including Latin, Dutch, and Afrikaans, the French impact has been the most profound. French influence on the population was so significant that Anglo-Saxon commoners began consistently employing French vocabulary, even creating new words using French affixes and roots.
Over centuries, French influence changed English from a homogenous language to a diverse, mixed one and greatly altered its grammar. Before the conquest, English had possessed complex grammar rules, yet a few decades after the Norman invasion, the grammar had become much simpler.
Today, with approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide who speak it natively or as a second language, English is the language of the global world. As such, English seems to be the only language capable of uniting people around the globe, regardless of their nationality, race, and cultural background.
