ABSTRACT
The invasion of the Normans in 1066 was a signicant event in both historical and linguistic terms. It is generally taken to be the beginning of the Middle English (ME) period, which continued up to 1500. This chapter will give you some general historical background. Then it focuses particularly on one major linguistic theme: the relationship, which changed over the period, between English and the language the Normans brought with them: French. Towards the end of the chapter we will look at a passage from the best-known English author of the time, Geoffrey Chaucer, chosen to provide us with a starting-point for our detailed consideration of ME in the chapters that follow.
