French was the official language of England from 1066 to 1362, when it was replaced by English. French was used by the nobility, while English was spoken by the lower classes. Latin was used for official documentation. The loss of Normandy and the Hundred Years War against France contributed to the shift towards English.
French was the official language of England after the 1066 Norman conquest by William the Conqueror of France until 1362, when it was replaced by English. From 1066 to 1362, French was mainly used by the nobility and English was generally spoken by the lower classes. Latin was the primary language for official documentation. Historians point to King John’s loss of Normandy, a region of France, in 1294 to the French king as a major factor in England’s drift away from the French language. French also began to be viewed negatively due to the Hundred Years War against France which began in 1337. In 1362, the Statute of Pedagogy had named English as the official language of the courts.
Learn more about languages:
It is estimated that 25% of people in the world have at least some ability to speak the English language.
There are around 7,000 languages in the world, but they die out at the rate of one every 14 days, on average.
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, with approximately 12% of the population speaking it.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
