1066- A Year of Change in Britain

Every country has an important event to define what it will become. The United States and France have their revolutions. European countries have world wars. From the Norman invasion to the Civil War, and then to the world war, such incidents have occurred from time to time in Britain. So far, the most far-reaching influence is the Norman invasion. This is the time when Britain became Britain. Then English was attacked by Norman invaders. From Norman French, English acquired many words. But it also gained something deeper; It gained its own feeling, and through this, English became English.

Norman invasion can be summed up in two words, inheriting disputes. Before Edward's confessor died, William, Duke of Normandy, France, was appointed as the heir to the British throne. Harold, Earl of Wessex, was crowned king before Prince William came to inherit his inheritance. So William formed an army, led the army across the English Channel and launched an invasion of Britain. His troops fought Harold's troops in Hastings. William won a great victory. Shortly after the death of his rival Harold, he was crowned King William I of England at Westminster Abbey in 1066 (Norman Conquest 1 year). That was after the Norman arrival, but now many people speak French. As two dialects, English and French exist in the same country, which is somewhat abnormal in history. In fact, there is no doubt that from the conquest to the14th century, English society used many languages more widely and truly than ever before (bartlett 485). The division between English and French is a social division. The British themselves didn't care much about Norman overlord, so they continued to speak English. For the British, this is nothing. However, the invasion changed the upper class. William brought French nobles and barons, who replaced the old English nobles. French is obviously the mother tongue of the invaders, because most kings, barons and great priests, while most lower-class nobles were born and raised in northern France (bartlett 486).

William himself tried to learn English, but he didn't like Britain or its residents very much. He soon gave up his intention to learn this language (Barlow 128). He really doesn't care, because for him, Britain is just a property, a legacy that he must manage. He didn't go there many times, but spent most of his time in France. Therefore, the Normans continued to maintain their foreign presence in Britain. The aristocracy is an airplane above the British. From 1075 to 1225, a queen's spouse was born and raised in France, or the French environment (bartlett 486). Norman rulers hated English. According to Frank Barlow, English is at a low level, which sounds barbaric to the French. This contempt is short-lived. In the invading generation, French was no longer the mother tongue of Norman rulers. (bartlett 487)

Although French has never been spoken by ordinary British people, it has become a written language of law and an important academic language. Another anomaly in history is that English and French were once British dialects. Finally, the written usage of English was replaced by French. According to Robert bartlett, shortly after the conquest, the tradition of issuing writs and laws in English disappeared, and the creation of poetry and religious works soon reached a virtual end (bartlett 493). Because aristocrats are generally eager to learn, and they can speak French, so French has become everyone's first choice, political thought, dialogue between the upper classes. I write more in French than in English. If you don't know French, you are not fashionable.

During this period, Latin was also a very important language in Britain. It is the language of the church, so it was the only academic language before French appeared. Anyone who wants to get an education will learn English, French and Latin (Barle 502). I can not only speak but also write. There is a great interaction between all these languages, and it is because of this interaction that English can develop. Because Britain had a multilingual culture at that time, there were naturally positive words borrowed from one language to another. The biggest long-term result of this borrowing is to inject a large number of romantic words into English (504).

According to Robert bartlett, nouns are the easiest words to get from other languages because they are used more frequently. Therefore, French words are first injected into English as nouns, such as war, peace, justice, courts and wealth (504). For example, the word "prison" is a good example. It started from the classical Latin cavea, and was later changed to gaiole by the French. When it was brought to England, it became a prison, and the British threw away all those extra French letters. Until the last century, the spelling of prison was gaol, but later it evolved into the current spelling with the same pronunciation (504). If you look at a map of Britain, you can tell who invaded which part of the country by the end of the place name. This has created a country with the most interesting place names. One thing the Normans didn't do was to leave any lasting influence on place names. They are not interested in changing Britain in any way, they just want to go to France for a holiday with their salary.

Norman invasion was the last time Britain was invaded. Fools tried in the future, but failed. The invasion of language foundation has helped English develop into a world standard language. Ironically, Britain is still changing. This time not from foreign invaders, but from immigrant invaders. New words brought by immigrants from Africa and Southeast Asia can always find a place in English. English is a language that can change and experience the latest fashion at any time. It all started nearly a thousand years ago, when an unknown king of England got an arrow in his eye. England under Norman and Anglican kings, 1075- 1225. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2000. Barlow, Frank. The influence of Norman conquest. The background and influence of Norman conquest. New york: son of Charles Scribner. 1966. 125- 16 1。