Why does English have so many French words?

 Why does English have so many French words?

Have you noticed that English has so many French words like rendezvous, and that the term RSVP is a French abbreviation too? How do we have so many French words in English? To answer that question, we have to go back in time to the year 1066. 


The Normans were descendants of the Vikings and were proud warriors, just like their ancestors. In 1066 the Normans invaded England with the hopes of capturing the land. They got their name from the direction they arrived on land (from the North). They decided to conquer England because William, the Duke or Normandy got into an argument with Harold Godwinson over the throne. William and his army fought Harold’s army at a place called Hastings. This is now known as the battle of Hastings. An arrow struck Harold in the eye, which sealed the victory of William. 

This victory resulted in William restructuring English society and its ways. Norman French became the official language of the royal court and the commoners continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. Over time, Norman French and English merged, resulting in a bunch of French words coming into English diction.

SERENE PALLEYGEDERA

Serene Palleygedera

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