During the closing decades of which century did English supersede French as the official language for legal proceedings and parliamentary business ?
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Answer: D. fourteenth
Explanation
English largely supplanted French in legal and parliamentary domains during the closing decades of the fourteenth century. Historical records show that parliamentary proceedings began using English regularly around the late fourteen-hundreds. This linguistic shift marked the official resurgence of English as the dominant administrative language of the realm. Following the Norman Conquest, French and Latin dominated legal, governmental, and high cultural spheres in England. The fourteenth century witnessed a major revival of vernacular literature alongside growing English national identity. Socioeconomic changes, including labor shortages and the Hundred Years' War, diminished the cultural prestige of French.
Option A is incorrect because the tenth century represents the Old English period before French influence took root. Option B is wrong because French retained firm control over legal and courtly administration during the twelfth century. Option C is too early, as French remained the primary language of formal law throughout most of that era.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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