English is one of the most predominant languages in the world, spoken by about 400 million people as their native tongue and by more than a billion others as a second language.
Shaped by various linguistic influences over many centuries, English traces all the way back to the Proto-Indo-European language, which linguists believe originated in Eurasia around 4500 to 2500 BCE. It evolved into the Old English spoken by the Germanic tribes of Northern Europe, and transformed after the Norman Conquest of England. While the Germanic languages remain foundational elements of English, the French influence is surprisingly strong.
The Norman Conquest
On October 14, 1066, William I of Normandy — known to history as William the Conqueror — invaded and defeated England in the Battle of Hastings. The Normans introduced a new ruling class; William was crowned king of England on December 25, 1066, and Norman nobility replaced King Harold II’s Anglo-Saxon aristocracy. The takeover marked the beginning of Norman rule and a major shift in English society — including its language.
The Normans, who were of Viking descent but had settled in the Normandy region of France, spoke Old Norman (a dialect of Old French), which largely derived from Latin. Following William’s conquest, and for the next 300 years, Old French became the primary language spoken by English monarchs, elites, and government officials.
Latin was also used, typically by the church and intellectuals, and it served as the primary language of written record. English, however, remained the primary language of everyday people, and over time, it started to become infused with the language of their rulers.
Thousands of French Words
This period of linguistic amalgamation gave rise to the language known as Middle English. From around 1250 to 1400, a distinct new dialect began to take shape in England. Writing styles were heavily influenced by the French (or Latin) writing conventions; pronunciations shifted, and a substantial influx of French vocabulary cemented itself into the English language. It’s estimated that, during Norman rule, some 10,000 French words were adopted into English; about three-fourths of them are still used today.
Given the English language is always changing and evolving. There is no real consensus for how many English words exist, but some linguists would estimate around 1 million words, roughly 30% or more of which come from French. The French influence remains so pervasive, it’s estimated that English speakers without any French language education may already know around 15,000 French words.