Why medieval French still shapes the way we speak English today

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: After 1066, England became a trilingual society where Latin, Middle English, and a unique dialect of Old French coexisted. This Anglo-Norman language, once the tongue of kings and courts, left a permanent mark on English vocabulary, legal terminology, and even the royal mottos still used by the British monarchy.

Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, Anglo-Norman emerged as the language of the English elite, the royal court, and the administration. While Latin remained the primary language for permanent records and the Church, Anglo-Norman became the dominant medium for law, trade, and government from the mid-13th century until the early 15th century. It was not a single, static language but a dialect of Old Norman that evolved alongside continental French, eventually becoming a technical 'Law French' that persisted in English courts until 1731.

The influence of this language on English is profound, particularly in vocabulary. Scholars estimate that approximately 90% of the 10,000 French loanwords in English were documented during this period. Because Anglo-Norman often bypassed the sound changes occurring in Parisian French, English preserves older pronunciations and spellings. For instance, English words like 'chamber' and 'chain' retain the original /tʃ/ sound, whereas modern French has shifted to /ʃ/. Similarly, the English 'j' sound remains closer to the medieval /dʒ/ than the modern French /ʒ/.

Beyond vocabulary, Anglo-Norman left structural traces in English legal phrases, such as 'attorney general' or 'heir apparent,' where the adjective follows the noun. This legacy is also visible in the British royal coat of arms, which features the mottos 'Dieu et mon droit' and 'Honi soit qui mal y pense.' These phrases serve as a living link to a time when the English monarchy was deeply embedded in a French-speaking cultural commonwealth, long before Modern English became the standard vernacular.

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