How the Normans changed the way we speak
Michael Rosen explores the impact of the Norman invasion on the English language. He asks Dr Philip Durkin about the lasting influence of Anglo-Norman French.
Michael Rosen explores the impact of the Norman invasion on the English language. He asks Dr Philip Durkin about the influence of Anglo-Norman, the dialect of French that was used in England after the Conquest for about 400 years. Not everyone in late medieval England knew Anglo-Norman, but pretty much anyone who was literate did. Philip's research found that of the 1000 most frequent words in modern-day written English, almost 50% of those words are borrowed from either French or Latin, and most of those show at least some influence from French.
Dr Philip Durkin is Deputy Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary and leader of its team of specialist etymology editors. He's the author of Borrowed Words: A History of Loanwords in English
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea, in partnership with the Open University
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- Thu 3 Sep 202615:30BBC Radio 4
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