History of the English Language : The Middle English Period
The Middle English Period begins with the Norman Conquest of 1066, an important landmark in the history of the English language, and ends with the transitional period towards the close of the Middle Ages. It extends from about A.D. 1100 to about 1450. The Oxford Companion to English Literature says that Middle English is used to describe the language from 1150 to about 1500. Sweeping changes in vocabulary occurred, first by the Scandinavian influence and then by the Norman French. The real force of the Norse influence on the language became perceptible only in early Middle English. It was the effect of the Norman Conquest and of the consequent French influence which later deprived English of its homogenous character. From 1042 onwards, Norman-French must have been spoken at the English Court. But It could not influence the common people. They used to speak in their native language. Thus, for some years there were two languages spoken side by side: English and Norman French. French rema...