ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the development of English from the time of the Viking invasions at the end of the eighth century up to the Norman Conquest of 1066. It outlines the three stages of Viking incursions: raids on the coast; conquest and settlement; dynastic conflict — giving one OE text in connection with each of these phases, always illustrating the Wessex point of view. The chapter presents the influence on Old English of speakers of Old Norse in Britain in regard to vocabulary, pronunciation, inflection, and syntax. It explores the nature of linguistic contact by looking at the arguments which speak for and against seeing this as an instance of creolization; in doing this, special attention is paid to the features of Danelaw English. The chapter reviews developments outside Danelaw, in the areas controlled by Wessex, with an eye to the renewal of learning under King Alfred and the subsequent establishment of a West Saxon standard.
