1. Introduction

1.1 Research background

English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now a global commonly used languages. It dated back to Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain in the fifth to seventh centuries by Germanic invaders and migrators from what is now northwest Germany and Holland. It is an official language of almost 60 sovereign states, the most commonly spoken language in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, and a widely spoken language in countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia. It is the third most common native language in the world, after Mandarin and Spanish. It is the most widely learned second language and is an official language of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of many other world and regional international organizations.

English has developed more than 1400 years. The earliest forms of English are called Old English which was a set of Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon migrators in the fifth century. The next stage of English is called Middle English which began in the late 15th century with the Norman conquest of England. Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London and the King James Bible as well as the Great Vowel Shift which was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in England between 1350 and 1600. Through the worldwide influence of the Great Britain, modern English spread around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries. Through all kinds of printed and electronic media, as well as the appearance of the United States as a global superpower, English has become the leading language of international discourse and the global commonly used languages in many regions and in professional fields such as science, navigation, and law.

In the history of lengthy development of English, many languages had influence on it. Although Latin, Celtic, Scandinavian language all had certain influence on the development of English until the middle of 11th century however the Norman conquest of 1066's influence on English is more important. Before the Norman conquest, some French words had been borrowed into Old English, for example, the word ”castel” was introduced into Old English in order to distinguish the Norman residence from the word ”bur#658;” which indicated the residence of English aristocracy at that time. Again, from some records found in the 10th century, the French word ”tower” had also been introduced in the English language. From the contracts concluded before the Norman conquest, the French loanword ”tower” can also be found. Perhaps to map out the Normans#8217; arrogant, the word ”proud” was absorbed into English. In addition, the French loanword like ”service” can also be found in the chronicle of 1070. In the period of the era of Edward the Confessor, there were more French loanwords. But French had a massive impact on English was from the Norman conquest.

When we doing research on the history of English, we can#8217;t ignore the importance of the Norman conquest. The Norman conquest of England was the invasion and occupation of England by an army of Norman in 11th century, Breton, and French soldiers led by Duke William II of Normandy, later gained the title of the conqueror.

William's claim to the English throne derived from his familial relationship with the childless Anglo-Saxon King Edward the Confessor, who may have encouraged William's hopes for the throne. Edward died in January 1066 and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson. The Norwegian king Harald Hardrada invaded northern England in September 1066 and was victorious at the Battle of Fulford, but Harold defeated and killed him at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066. Within days, William landed in southern England. Harold marched south to confront him, leaving a significant portion of his army in the north. Harold's army confronted William's invaders on 14 October at the Battle of Hastings; William's force defeated Harold, who was killed in the engagement and London surrendered without fighting. On December 25, William crowned king of England at London#8217;s Westminster Abbey also known as William I. Norman dynasty began to rule the British. The remnants of the British aristocracy#8217;s brave resistances all suffered brutal crackdown. In 1071, William cemented his rule and gained the the title of the conqueror.

1.2 Need for the study

In academic circles. on the influence of the Norman conquest of English development has been involved. But in domestic, there is only discuss from the aspects of linguistics, although some works has been done abroad from the perspective of history when it comes to the Norman conquest influence on English, but is not specific and lucid enough. This article attempts to explore the influence of French in the English language in the Norman conquest, this historical context.

This article will be divided into three parts to make a thorough inquiry on the influences of Norman conquest on the development of English from a historical perspective. The first pat is to have an acquaintance with the basic situation of the relationship between English and France before and after the Norman conquest and the historical facts of the Norman conquest. The second part is to explore the influence of the Norman conquest on the Middle English vocabulary. The third part is to probe into the reasons of the continuous existence of English after the Norman conquest and its evolution.