NORMAN FRENCH. A French dialect which originated in Normandy after the Scandi navian invaders, under Rollo, had settled there about 911. (See NORMANDY and NORS1ANb.) At a very early (late these Scandinavians adopted the French language, together with French re ligion and culture. The Normans in adopting French as a medium of communication and for purposes of literary expression retained many Scandinavian words, which are still, though in a greatly changol form, characteristic of this French dialect. It is not always possible, how ever, to distinguish these elements, because the Norman French has been influenced, thought undoubtedly to a much less extent, by another Germanic tongue, the Saxon. The largest class of Scandinavian derivatives in Norman French is that of proper names of persons and places. Among the first of these, occurring in early works. may be mentioned Boutin., from LiuIdr; lbfroult, from floraldr; Turquetil, from Thor Sigrurd, from Higieurth. In place names suggestions of a Danish origin are numerous, as in banneral, La Dennerie, Donemarehe, Dan court. Many Northern suffixes occur in Norman place 1111 111es, as (Wk. in Lfrecquedolie, bee in Condebrc, Huulltce, etc., tore, familiar in English words of Northern origin, in Toryistorp, and stein, in Crestein and Gouestuin. Among other words of possible Scandinavian origin the fol lowing may be noted: Grunion, a newly married man; rin hurl, white wine; rainier, to shave or rake: tang, seaweed, Old Icelandic thong. Sev eral nautical terms in use in Norman French seem to be of Norse origin, as Grant, the bow of a ship, Old Nurse brunch', eSettif, a ship; /tune, top of a mast, Old Icelandic- Lime, A few of these words have passed into standard French, but most of them are used only dialectically. Nor man French is also distinguished by its sounds, prominent among which is the pronunciation of initial h, which in the other French dialects is silent. During the early period Norman French
played an important part in French literature, some of the most important monuments being written in this dialect.
Of greater interest to English readers than the peculiarities of Norman French at home is its development in England after the Conquest. In order to distinguish between the French used on the Continent and that used in England, the latter is often called Anglo-Norman or Anglo French, of which terms the second is now the more generally used. One of the most obvious of these influences in the case of Anglo-French was the introduction of English words, especially those that expressed specifically English ideas, for which no French word existed. The pro nuneiation, too, was influenced by the English, t(speeially in Connection with the accent. The influence of French had begun before the Con quest, :is a result of the strong French sym pathies of Edward the Confessor, and for several centuries after the Conquest French continued to Ti, the Court language. A considerable French literature was produced in England, both in poetry and prose. and many works of a non literary eharacter, such as law codes, wills, etc., have been preserved. Many French words were borrowed, forming the first period of the French element.
The hest popular account of the Anglo-French is found in Skeat, Principles of English Ety mology, second series (Oxford, 1891). The best technical treatment is by 1). Behrens, in Paul's Grundriss der yerMUlliSCill_11 P1111010giC (2d ed. 1897). There is no complete dictionary of Anglo-French, though a number of texts have been edited. Useful lists of English words found in Anglo-French have been published by Skeat (1882-89). The question of the influence of Scan dinavian culture on the Normans has been dis cussed from opposite sides by Le Lea kteandinares en Normandie (Paris. 1877 ), and .1. Fabricins. Danskc Minder i Normandiet (Copen hagen, 1897).