Anglo-norman (Noun)
Meaning
The French (Norman) language used in medieval England.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The language used in the Domesday Book was Anglo-Norman as it was influenced by both Latin and Old French dialects spoken by the Norman elite.
- During the Middle English period, Anglo-Norman became a prestige language, and its vocabulary and idioms influenced English literature.
- Anglo-Norman vocabulary persisted in later stages of English, particularly within the context of law, cuisine, royalty, and courtly life.
- Many works of literature from medieval England were written in Anglo-Norman, with the epic song Chanson de Roland being one notable example.
- Chaucer's Canterbury Tales demonstrate the replacement of Anglo-Norman by Middle English as the literary language of choice in medieval England.