How can the linguistic situation in England during the decades immediately following the Norman Conquest best be characterized ?
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Answer: D. Most of the English population went on speaking English with French used mostly among the upper-ruling class.
Explanation
Anglo-Norman French dominated the ruling class while commoners spoke English. Linguistic stratification persisted for centuries following the 1066 invasion. Society was divided linguistically along clear socioeconomic class boundaries. The Norman Conquest fundamentally altered the trajectory of the English language. William the Conqueror instituted a new French speaking aristocracy in England. Middle English emerged gradually from the fusion of Germanic and Romance tongues.
Language history reflects broader political dominations and social upheavals. Multilingualism has characterized British history for many centuries. Class divisions are often permanently recorded in the evolution of vocabulary. Option A suggests rapid assimilation that bypassed centuries of linguistic division. Option B reverses the power dynamics by assuming conquerors learned the local tongue. Option C exaggerates the everyday conversational role played by Latin.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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