Before 1066, in the land we now call Great Britain lived peoples belonging to two major language groups. In the west-central region lived the Welsh, who spoke a Celtic language, and in the north lived the Scots, whose language, though not the same as Welsh, was also Celtic. In the rest of the country lived the Saxons, actually a mixture of Anglos, Saxons, and other Germanic and Nordic peoples, who spoke what we now call Anglo-Saxon , a Germanic language. If this state of affairs had lasted, English today would be close to German.
But this state of affairs did not last. In 1066 the Normans led by William defeated the Saxons and began their rule over England. For about a century, French became the official language of England while Old English became the language of peasants. As a result, English words of politics and the law come from French rather than German. In some cases, modern English even shows a distinction between upper-class French and lower-class Anglo-Saxon in its words. We even have different words for some foods, meat in particular, depending on whether it is still out in the field or at ready to be cooked, which shows the fact that the Saxon peasants were doing the farming, while the upper-class Normans were doing most of the eating.
When Americans visit Europe for the first time, they usually find Germany more foreign than France because the German they see on signs and advertisements seems much more different from English language is actually Germanic in its beginning and that the French influences are all the result of one mans ambition.
What is the subject discussed in the text?
a. The history of Great Britain.
b. The similarity between English and French.
c. The rule of England by William the conqueror
d. The French influences on the English language.
连接代词what的用法
相互代词的用法及注意点
another还是the other
表示“两者”的不定代词
none与no one的三点区别
英语语法-数词配套练习及答案
定冠词的用法
备考人称代词的易错点
(a) few 与(a) little的用法区别
物主代词用法归纳
反身代词的用法
疑问代词的用法归纳
不定冠词的用法
英语语法-冠词配套练习及答案
连接代词的用法归纳
不定代词用法归纳
“a whole+ n.”与“the whole+n.”有何区别
英语代词用法详解·疑问代词
英语语法-限定词配套练习及答案
英语代词用法详解·人称代词
学习复合不定代词的8个“问题”
英语代词用法详解·指示代词
冠词位置
选用关系代词的小技巧
零冠词的用法
疑问代词的语法要点
指示代词的几点用法说明
谈谈表示“另外的”不定代词
替代词one与the one的用法区别
替代词it, that, (the) one(s), those的用法
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