User:Roger.M.Williams/The Germanic and Romance Languages
Language influence / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[SEARCH FOR [EDIT].]
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2019) |
The influence of French on the English language is not limited only to the lexicon of the English language, but also to syntax and grammar, orthography, and pronunciation. Many French lexemes entered English after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, when French became the language of the new Anglo-Norman court, the government, and of the elites for several centuries. This period lasted until the aftermath of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453). [EDIT]From then on, English has continuously been impacted by the French language. According to Laura K. Lawless, more than a third of modern English vocabulary is of French origin.[1] According to linguist Henriette Walter, words of French origin represent more than two thirds of English vocabulary.[citation needed] Linguist Anthony Lacoudre estimated that over 40,000 English words come directly from French and may be understood without orthographical change by French speakers.[2]
== The Development of Old and Middle French
Old Norman is a particular variety of the Gallo-Roman language spoken in Normandy. It is one of the oïl languages spoken in northern France alongside Picard and Walloon, among many others.