Normans And Middle English The year 1066 had a resounding impact on the course of English history. William the First, Duke of Normandy, conquered England and took it as a stronghold in his reign. The French rule over England lasted for several centuries and brought about innumerable changes to the English state, language, culture and lifestyle. William imported French rulers to take over English government and religious posts. The French were not only the new aristocracy …showed first 75 words of 2301 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2301 total…of vocabulary. Any student of Modern French is struck by the sheer vastness of similar lexical terms between it and Present-Day English, despite the fact that French and English derive historically from different sources. It would be impossible to speculate what the English language might look like today if the Normans had never invaded Britain. However, suffice it to say, the present English language has been extensively enriched by the quantity of this foreign influence.