Vikings Influence On English Language
1279 Words6 Pages
Russell Gash
Thongsook College Bangkok
Abstract
The Vikings invaded England during the late eighth century. They remained for the next 300 years. Despite having been such a dominant force they left behind little physical evidence of their reign until research successfully established definite connections between the Vikings language and the English language of the time. The Vikings spoke a language called ‘Old Norse’. Old Norse and Old English were similar in many ways as they belonged to the same language family, a proto-indo European language. Therefore, the Old Norse was able to be integrated with relative ease into Old English. Their influence extends past loan words and encompasses grammar and syntax. This paper highlights the influence of the Vikings on the English language.
Keywords: linguistics, English language, Old Norse, Old English
The Impact of the Viking Invasion on the English Language
The classic Viking image portrayed in popular culture is one of pirates from the fjords who descended on medieval England in a bloodthirsty rage who raped, pillaged, murdered and then sailed back across the North Sea with their plunder, but their story is also one of linguistic importance which to this day, left a long lasting impression on grammar and vocabulary of the English.
The History of the Vikings
The Vikings were a group of warriors originating from Scandinavia, which we know as modern day Norway and
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