[chrisdone]

I agree. I read the same passage and had the same complaint.

I just finished a Great Courses lecture series on the Norman conquest of England, and the professor makes this very comment. And also argues that the melding of Norman--not 'French', Norman was a sister to Old French that looks more like Vulgar Latin--and Old English is what gives modern English its vast vocabulary, roughly twice the size of Spanish; as many words have the Germanic and Romance varieties. You can 'meet' someone or 'encounter' someone, etc.

Ironically, "Norman" comes from "north men", as Normandy was settled by Scandinavian invaders who "went native" in France. Then they "went native" again in England, forgetting their original Norman.

[yellowapple]

> not 'French', Norman was a sister to Old French that looks more like Vulgar Latin

I mean, at that point in time it might as well be "French", right? Obviously not modern French, but an ancestor (or uncle?) thereof.

I've done quite a bit of (amateur/casual) reading into the histories of English and Norse languages, but the Norman part I haven't exactly dug into yet (beyond exactly how it influenced modern English and induced a lot of the differences from Old and Middle English) so now my curiosity's a bit piqued.