Old English (459 - 1150)

Question 1

With Christianity

Answer 1

came literacy. When St Augustine brought God and literacy to England, the language gained more Latin (monk, noon, abbot)

Question 2

Celtic influence

Answer 2

They were so forcibly pushed to the extremes of the island that their language made very little impact. Examples are ‘London, Dover, Avon and Thames’

Question 3

Latin influence

Answer 3

Anglo-Saxons borrowed words from the Roman Empire with Latin origin such as ‘Chester’ (inflected language into ‘Manchester’). ‘street, wine, inch, mile, table’.

Question 4

Old Norse influence (Vikings)

Answer 4

It brought a general clarification and strengthening of the language by filling in gaps, gained more words (scream, rubbish, scythe, skull, husband, leg, rotten) It also took on the elements i.e prepositions, pronouns

Question 5

William the Conqueror (Norman influence)

Answer 5

came across the Channel in 1066 and brought with him a rural French dialect, this marked the transition from Old English to Middle English.