WORDS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22050, 25 March 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

WORDS

Their Life and Growth v Turbulent times in England did not cease with Alfred the Cheats strong rule. He compelled the Danes to accept a division of island, into the Danelaw which they controlled, and the southern part

which was his land. These ioreigne'rs remained in England, however, and the country was divided. In 1066 another, invasion, by the Northmen or Nonrmns, from the north of France, changed greatly the history and language of the English race. The newcomers were themselves of Norse or Danish origin, cousins of the English, like the earlier Danish invaders. They had lived for many years in France, had forgotten their mother tongue, and now spoke a dialect of French. The impact of this dialect, when they came to England, was destined to mould the speech of the native inhabitants in many important ways. For 200 years it was doubtful which tongue would triumph—that of the conquerors, used by the Court, the aristocracy, the legal profession, and to some extent by the priests; or that of the conquered, which remained the language of the mass of the people. After 1300 we find large numbers of French words . being taken into the English language and used as commonly and as naturally as Anglo-Saxon words. French begins to go out of use more and English becoming the daily speech even of the upper classes. Some notable historical events provide reasons for this, and give illustrations of the manner in which the process took place. In 1204 the loss of Normandy separated • England from France, and decreased French influence greatly. The English, among whom must now be counted many AngloNormans, were beginning tp estaolish themselves as a united nation and to insist on certain principles of government to which, as set down in Magna Carta, King John was forced to put his signature. The year 1258 was a most important one. for then, on the first occasion since the Conquest, English was officially used in a proc'amation by the King. The proclamation concerned the barons; here is a proof that French was not the only language read by the AngloNorman nobles. And. in the circumstances, it would appear likely that if they could read English they would also speak it. About a century later we find a decree that Latin, which still remained largely the language of the Church and the one language that was at all universal in European countries, should no longer be taught in England through the medium of French. Finally, in 1362, an act was passed that all law-court cases should be conducted in English. The reason, stated specifically in the act, was "French has become much unknown in the realm." From these facts it is safe to judge that by 1400 French was comparatively little spoken in England. By that date, however, the Norman dialect had done its great work in changing English. These changes were not due merely to the many French borrowings. In last week's article reference was made to the system of inflexions used in Anglo-Saxon. The system was, it,is true/ beginning to decay before 1066; but the Norman Conquest speeded up the process of iecay greatly. Modern English has almost no inflexions at all, a fact which distinguishes it in a remarkable way from older languages such as Latin and Greek, and trom its own parent, Anglo-Saxon.

One more important ettttt remains to be noticed. After the Conquest the work of copying manuscripts was done very largely by Norman scribes. Unfamiliar with the sounds and forms of English, they tried to spell it phonetically (that is, as it was sounded), their attempt resulting m many errors. More important than this they introduced some part or their own system of spelling. Some of these innovations, accepted gradually, have become a recognised part of our present system or spelling words. , (Examples of inflexions m modern English are found in verbs, as in hast, and in the possessive case shown by 's.)