ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how the English language fared in the aftermath of the dynastic conflict which put a non-English ruling class at the head of both Church and State after the Norman invasion of 1066. It assesses the linguistic effects of the Norman French presence in the country and the disuse of the West Saxon English standard as well as the introduction of French ways at the top of society. The chapter reviews attitudes towards English and French in England. It traces changes — perhaps influenced by the presence of French — in regard to pronunciation and spelling, grammar and morphology, vocabulary and word formation, and regional variation. The chapter considers the creolization hypothesis in regard to Norman French. It discusses the sparse literature from the period to show change and continuity in the language and illustrates some of the text types in which English was employed. The chapter provides examples of the dialectal diversity of Middle English.
