Georgescu Agatha

As you will see, I used mostly Baugh and Cable`s book to make sure my answers were correct. I
hope the way I indicated the pages (marking them as citations) isn’t a problem.

3. OLD ENGLISH
3. The first language spoken in England there is a definite knowledge about is the Celtic
language (Gaelic/Goidelic branch), thus being the first Indo-European language to be spoken on
the English territory .1

4. The Romans conquered England in 43 A.D. under the Emperor Claudius. The
approximate date when the last Roman legions were withdrawn from the land is 410 A.D.2
5. The date at which the Germanic invasion begun is 449 A.D.

6. The homes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes were most probably Denmark and the Low
Countries. Bade in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People places the homes of the Jutes
and the Angles in the Danish peninsula in the northern half for the Jutes, respectively the southern
half for the Angles. The Saxons were said to originate from the southern and western territories of
those of the Angles, approximately between the Elbe and the Ems, possibly as far as the Rhine. 3

10. The dates conventionally accepted for the beginning of usage of Old English, Middle
English and Modern English are 500 A.D. for Old English, 1100/1150 for Middle English (a while
after The Battle of Hastings-1066), 1500 for Early Modern English (after the inventing of the
printing press) and 1700 for Modern English if there is to be distinguished between the last two.
5. THE NORMAN CONQUEST AND THE SUBJECTION OF ENGLISH, 1066-1200
1.The Norman Conquest plays a key role in the evolution of the English language and
therefore, the people that played an important role in the events that led to the Norman Conquest
are relevant for this matter as well. AEthelred the Unready was married to a Norman noblewoman
and when driven out of the country by the Danes, he sought refuge in Normandy with his brother-
in-law. His son, Edward the Confessor was brought up in France and was “more French than
English”. When he was restored to the throne he brought with him Norman gentry who then took
important places in the government. Therefore, a strong French influence could be felt at the
English court during his reign. During Edward`s reign England was divided into a few large

1
Albert C.Baugh and Thomas Cable, A History of the English Language, Fifth Edition (London, 2002), p. 39
2
Idem, p. 41
3
Idem, p. 43
districts which were de facto controlled by powerful earls. One of the most influential of them was
Godwin, earl of West Saxony (Wessex) and he was the principal advisor of Edward and the one
that “virtually controlled England”. Harold (earl of Wessex) was his eldest son and succeeded him
in title and influence over the national affairs. After the death of the childless king Edward, Harold
was elected in his place.

All these characters play a key role in the events that followed, therefore being part of the
premises for the Norman Conquest. The English language would have probably been much more
different if it was for William, duke of Normandy, not to lay his claim on the English throne and
not to conquest the country. The language would have been more alike other Germanic languages,
preserving a predominantly Germanic vocabulary as opposed to the “almost as much a Romance
as a Germanic language” it ended up being due to the French influences.4

3. Normandy derives its name from the Northmen who settled in the northern coast of
France directly across from England (seventy-five miles back from the Channel) in the ninth and
tenth centuries.5

4. William, the duke of Normandy was a second cousin to Edward the Confessor, but this
relationship did not give him any claim to the English throne. It is possible that Edward encouraged
him while he visited England and Harold was, presumably, forced to swear while captive not to
oppose William`s election.6

5. The decisive battle between the Normans and the English was the Battle of Hastings
th
(14 of October 1066). The Normans won due to the element of somewhat surprise. Harold
expected an attack, but at the time being he was facing other problems as well, so he was not fully
prepared. The battle wasn’t in the favor of the Normans until the afternoon of that day. Harold
had an advantageous position, but William resorted to pretending to retreat as to lure the English
out of their position on the hill. The other brothers of Harold and Harold himself were killed in the
battle, therefore leaving the English without their leaders and disorganized. 7

6. Only after the pillaging of the southeast of England the citizens of London capitulated
and on Christmas Day in 1066 William was crowned king of England. His possession of the throne
wasn’t recognized immediately (only in the southeast) and it required the conquest of the land for
the next four years while he had to face rebellions in the southwest, the west and the north of
England.8

4
Idem., p. 98-99
5
Idem., p. 98
6
Idem., p. 99
7
Idem., p. 100-101
8
Idem., p. 101