The Languages of Religion in Medieval Britain – Christianity

The paper provides an overview of the linguistic panorama of Christianity in medieval Britain. It brings together information concerning the languages in use in various spheres of Christian life at the time with a view to creating a composite picture. Within the paper three main areas may be distinguished: language use in the context of God speaking to people (i.e. biblical translations), language used by people addressing God (i.e. prayers, liturgy, sacraments) and that employed when talking about God (i.e. religious writings, sermons, church-related registers and documents).