Middle English (1150 - 1500)

Question 1

Vocabulary

Answer 1

English gained around 10,000 new words, three quarters of which are still in usage (Bryson 1990)
French was seen as upper class

Question 2

Examples of Anglo-Saxon origin

Answer 2

builder, shoemaker, clothes, sheep, cow, pig, underwear, meet, worker, drunk, house, talk

Question 3

Examples of Anglo-Norman origin

Answer 3

mason, tailer, fashion, sheep, beef, bacon/pork, encounter, employee, intoxicated, residence, converse

Question 4

unreasonable =

Answer 4

(old English prefix un- + old French raisonable)

Question 5

companionship =

Answer 5

(old French compagne + old English -scipe)

Question 6

bearable =

Answer 6

(old English beran + old French -able)

Question 7

In 13th/14th centuries English re-emerged as an accepted standard language:

Answer 7

Anglo-Norman king lost Normandy to France, intermarrying between Normans and English and the Black Death killed over 30% of the population between 1348 - 1350, therefore survivors of the working class were more important

Question 8

By 1332, Parliament had become worried and stated:

Answer 8

‘all lords, barons, knights and honest men of good towns should exercise care and diligence to teach their children the French language’.

Question 9

By the end of 14th century

Answer 9

Oxford University decreed that all its students must use both French and English

Question 10

By the end of 15th century

Answer 10

English was once again the first language of the English.