British English English and the other West Germanic languages. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England. One of these dialects, Late West Saxon, eventually came to dominate. The original Old English language was then influenced by two waves of invasion: the first was by speakers of the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family, who conquered and colonised parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries; the second was the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and ultimately developed an English variety of this called Anglo-Norman. These
Influence of French on English from the 1066 conquest that proto-English became massively impregnated with Old French, then modern French. It should be noted, however, that only French influenced English in the centuries following the conquest. The reverse contribution of English to French was only real from the eighteenth century. The arrival of William the Conqueror and his barons significantly changed the linguistic situation in England. Norman was essentially imposed in the upper layers of society. The Anglo-Saxon dialects were supplanted by Norman in the circles of the court and aristocracy, justice and the Church. The influential circles, who came from Normandy and settled in