The Normans introduced a new ruling class; William was crowned king of England on December 25, 1066, and Norman nobility replaced King Harold II’s Anglo-Saxon aristocracy. The takeover marked the beginning of Norman rule and a major shift in English society — including its language. 

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The Normans, who were of Viking descent but had settled in the Normandy region of France, spoke Old Norman (a dialect of Old French), which largely derived from Latin.

 

Following William’s conquest, and for the next 300 years, Old French became the primary language spoken by English monarchs, elites, and government officials. Latin was also used, typically by the church and intellectuals, and it served as the primary language of written record.

 

English, however, remained the primary language of everyday people, and over time, it started to become infused with the language of their rulers which marked the beginning of a significant shift in England's ruling class and cultural landscape that has lasted to this day...

958 years later!

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Many French words found their way into the modern English language — making French one of the easiest languages for an English speaker.

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