6

The Reestablishment of English,

1200–1500

6.1 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW

1. Explain why the following are important in historical discussions of the English
language:
King John
Philip, king of France
Henry III
The Hundred Years’ War
The Black Death
The Peasants’ Revolt
Statute of Pleading
Layamon
Geoffrey Chaucer
John Wycliffe
2. In what year did England lose Normandy? What events brought about the loss?
3. What effect did the loss of Normandy have upon the nobility of France and England
and consequently upon the English language?
4. Despite the loss of Normandy, what circumstances encouraged the French to con-
tinue coming to England during the long reign of Henry III (1216–1272)?
5. The arrival of foreigners during Henry III’s reign undoubtedly delayed the spread of
English among the upper classes. In what ways did these events actually benefit the Eng-
Copyright © 2013. Taylor & Francis Group. All rights reserved.

lish language?
6. What was the status of French throughout Europe in the thirteenth century?
7. What explains the fact that the borrowing of French words begins to assume large
proportions during the second half of the thirteenth century, as the importance of the
French language in England is declining?
8. What general conclusions can one draw about the position of English at the end of the
thirteenth century?
9. What can one conclude about the use of French in the church and the universities
by the fourteenth century?
10. What kind of French was spoken in England, and how was it regarded?

59

Cable, Thomas. A Companion to Baugh and Cable's A History of the English Language, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ub-bamberg/detail.action?docID=1487067.
Created from ub-bamberg on 2018-04-05 06:44:36.
 60 A COMPANION TO HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

11. In what way did the Hundred Years’ War probably contribute to the decline of French
in England?
12. According to Baugh and Cable, the Black Death reduced the numbers of the lower
classes disproportionately and yet indirectly increased the importance of the language that
they spoke. Why was this so?
13. What specifically can one say about changing conditions for the middle class in
England during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries? What effect did these changes
have upon the English language?
14. In what year was Parliament first opened with a speech in English?
15. What statute marks the official recognition of the English language in England?
16. When did English begin to be used in the schools?
17. What was the status of the French language in England by the end of the fifteenth
century?
18. About when did English become generally adopted for the records of towns and the
central government?
19. What does English literature between 1150 and 1350 tell us about the changing for-
tunes of the English language?
20. What do the literary accomplishments of the period between 1350 and 1400 imply
about the status of English?
Copyright © 2013. Taylor & Francis Group. All rights reserved.

Cable, Thomas. A Companion to Baugh and Cable's A History of the English Language, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ub-bamberg/detail.action?docID=1487067.
Created from ub-bamberg on 2018-04-05 06:44:36.