The diversity of dialects. Roman influence on the Language.
The use of a foreign tongue as the state language, the diversity of the dialects and the decline of the written form of English created a situation extremely favorable for increased variation and for more intensive linguistic change.
The regional M.E. dialects had developed from respective OE dialects. With these reservations the following dialect groups can be distinguished in Early M.E.
The Southern group included the Kentish and the South-Western dialects. Kentish was a direct descendant of the O.E. Saxon dialects, - not only West Saxon, but also East Saxon. The East Saxon dialect was not prominent in OE but became more important in Early M.E., since it made the basis of the dialect of London in the 12th and 13th c. Among the dialects of this group the Gloucestes dialect and the London dialect may be mentioned.
The group of Midland (‘Central’) dialect – corresponding to the OE Mercian dialect – is divided into West Midland and East Midland as two main areas, with further subdivisions within: South-East midland and North-East Midland, South-west Midland and North-West Midland. In M.E. the Midland area became more diversified linguistically than the OE Mercian kingdom occupying approximately the same territory: from the Thames in the South to the Welsh-speaking area in the West and up north to the river Humber.
The Northern dialect had developed from OE Northumbrian. In Early M.E. the Northern dialects included several provincial dialects, e.g. the Yorkshire and the Lancashire dialects, and also what later became known as Scottish.
The victorious Normans made up the new aristocracy and the Anglo-Saxon people became their servants. The Norman aristocracy spoke a Norman dialect of French, a tongue of Latin origin, while the Anglo-Saxon spoke English, a tongue of Germanic origin. Thus there were two different languages spoken in the country at the same time. Norman-French became the official language of the state. It was the language of the ruling class spoken at court, all official documents were written in French or Latin. But peasants and townspeople spoke English. The Normans could not subdue the popular language that was spoken by the majority of the population. Many of them married Anglo-Saxon wives and in a few generations the descendants of the Normans who had come with William the Conqueror learned to speak the mother tongue of the common people of England.
English became the language of the educated class and the official language of the state. This was the gradual process. At the time when the two languages were spoken side by side the Anglo-Saxon learned many French words and expressions either to name a new notion that didn’t exist or to become the synonym.
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Words of Germanic origin make up the basic vocabulary of Modern English. But there were no English words to describe the more complicated feudal relations, many words were adopted from the French language : such words as noble, baron, serve, command, obey; or words relating to administration and law, such as charter, council, accuse, court, crime; or such military terms as arms, troops, guard, navy, battle, victory etc. Gradually the Normans mixed with the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes and from this mixture the English nation finally emerged.
Royalty, parliament and religion
Although the dates of kings and queens form a framework for British history, since the 13th century the powers of the monarch have been reduced. In 1215 King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, a document restricting the king’s power and giving the barons greater power. The word parliament was first used to describe meetings between Henry III and his noblemen in the Great Council. At that time, the king used his and his noblemen money to pay for government and war. When they didn’t have enough money the king had to meet with representatives from the counties to raise taxes. Over time, the Great Council became known as the House of Lords and the people from the counties as the House of Commons. Originally, the king needed the support of his councilors to pass a law, but by the end of the 15th century members of the House of Commons were taking part in the Law-making process.
During the medieval period monasteries were centres of learning. Monks prepared elaborately illustrated manuscripts, and in Jarrow in north-east England, Bede (an English monk and historian) wrote a history of England. His important work Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written in Latin, was the first serious work of English history.
4. The Church of England.
The Church of England is the official Protestant church in England. It became in depended of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century, in the time of Henry VIII. By the act of Supremacy(1534), the king replaced the Pope as head of the English or Anglican Church ( He divorced his first wife against the wishes of the Pope, and this led to a break with the Roman Catholic Church) and personally chose senior members of the clergy. The king or Queen is still the Supreme Governor of the Church of England but Archbishops and bishops are now appointed on the recommendation of the prime minister. The Church is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Services are in English, and forms of service were originally given in the Book of Common Prayer. This is still used but there are now also services in modern English.
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Cathedrals may belong to either the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. Some are called MINSTERS and were originally centers for teaching Christianity in the surrounding countryside.
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