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.
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题6
湖南省岳阳县2015-2016学年高一英语下册期中考试题
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测24
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题34
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题33
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题23
江西省铅山县2015-2016学年高一英语下册第一次月考试题
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题5
江西省九江2015-2016学年高一英语下册期中考试题
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题24
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题4
江西省崇仁县2015-2016学年高一英语下册期中考试题
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题9
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测26
江西省铅山一中2015-2016学年高一英语下册第一次月考试题
江西省南昌市2015-2016学年高一英语下册第一次月考试题
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题26
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题30
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题3
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测25
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题35
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测28
江西省九江一中2015-2016学年高一英语下册3月月考试题
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测31
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题7
江西省临川2015-2016学年高一英语下册第一次月考试题
贵州省贵阳市2015-2016学年高一英语下册4月月考试题
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测23
河北省武邑中学2016年高一英语下册暑假作业题29
2016-2017学年高一英语上册课时随堂检测29
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |