Norman
[aka Northern French, Normand,]Classification: Indo-European
·severely endangered
resource
Viking French? | What was the Norman Language?
In 911 AD a Viking chief named Rollo (Old Norse Hrólfr) was given as a fief the territory of Normandy in the North of France, the then Western Frankish Kingdom. 155 years later his descendant William would become a king in England starting the Norman Era and leaving a legacy that would shape British and world history. But in terms of those first Scandinavians that came to Northern France in the 10th Century, what language did they speak and how did this influence the development of Modern English that is spoken throughout the world today? While they were originally Old Norse speakers, soon the new "Normans" switched to the local vernacular of Old French, this new blend becoming known as "Old Norman" which retained some interesting features and loaned many words from Old Norse and decisively influenced the English language as we know it.