Des Rois Anglais Qui Parlent Français : Une Etude sur la Situation Linguistique en Angleterre après la Conquête Normande

Prior to 1066, England was ruled by the Germanic speaking Anglo-Saxons. However, after the defeat of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror became King of England, ushering in a lengthy era in which English monarchs were primarily francophone. This article explores the linguistic situation in England before, during, and after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Specifically, this article looks at the Anglo-Norman dialect as a distinct Langue d’Oïl, focusing primarily on its phonetics, syntax, and orthography, using examples found in Laüstic and Chèvrefeuille, two lais written by Marie de France in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. This article also explores the relationship between French and English during this period of history, tracing the immediate rise of French in the English aristocracy after the Norman Conquest and its eventual decline just before the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War in 1337.