Abstract
This quotation of the contemporary glossary by Robert of Gloucester brilliantly sums up the linguistic situation of the English society in the centuries after the Norman Conquest. While French became the language of power and prestige and left its mark on the English language, English remained the means of communication among the greatest part of the population.
This essay deals with the French influence on the English language which began in the 11th century and to a certain extent, continued into modern times. However, the main focus will be on the first 500 years. The first part will deal with the Norman Conquest and its social and linguistic consequences. The second part treats the loss of Normandy and the social and linguistic developments following it. In the last part, the French linguistic influence on the English language will be analyzed in more detail. This part will concentrate on vocabulary as it was here that the French exerted its main influence.
