Yes, and because of that there was a lot of interaction and blending, right up to the point where trials were required to be performed in English in the mid-14th century, then in the 15th everything was switched to English.
The Peterborough Chronicle perfectly demonstrates the transition from Old English to Middle. It was written over about a hundred years (11th to 12th Century) and gradually starts incorporating French vocabulary and dropping old Germanic grammar.
Ah. I misremembered about the Peterborough Chronicle being the one switching to French because of a new French abbot.
Still not seeing how much of it was informed by the Frenchmen wanting to learn English, though. Englishmen for sure did borrow French vocabulary, not sure about the other way around. I’m yet to learn about switching the trials to English, as I’m right at the point of Norman conquest in the ‘History of English Language’ podcast. =)
Seems so far that said history was in large part dictated by political happenings.
Well, the aristocracy didn’t just learn English overnight. The transition of official use over about 200 years shows them becoming more and more accepting and comfortable with it.
Yes, and because of that there was a lot of interaction and blending, right up to the point where trials were required to be performed in English in the mid-14th century, then in the 15th everything was switched to English. The Peterborough Chronicle perfectly demonstrates the transition from Old English to Middle. It was written over about a hundred years (11th to 12th Century) and gradually starts incorporating French vocabulary and dropping old Germanic grammar.
Ah. I misremembered about the Peterborough Chronicle being the one switching to French because of a new French abbot.
Still not seeing how much of it was informed by the Frenchmen wanting to learn English, though. Englishmen for sure did borrow French vocabulary, not sure about the other way around. I’m yet to learn about switching the trials to English, as I’m right at the point of Norman conquest in the ‘History of English Language’ podcast. =)
Seems so far that said history was in large part dictated by political happenings.
Well, the aristocracy didn’t just learn English overnight. The transition of official use over about 200 years shows them becoming more and more accepting and comfortable with it.