Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!news.mathworks.com!news.alpha.net!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!ames!news.hawaii.edu!uhunix3.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu!hench
From: hench@uhunix3.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Virginia E Hench)
Subject: Re: Anglo-Saxons & Celts
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: uhunix3.uhcc.hawaii.edu
Message-ID: <D5wry8.7HL@news.hawaii.edu>
Sender: news@news.hawaii.edu
Organization: University of Hawaii
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
References: <1995Mar17.154647.9595@onionsnatcorp.ox.ac.uk> <dnb105.127.2F6FEC1C@psu.edu> <3kqfl0$h0m@ss1.cam.nist.gov> <dnb105.137.2F70D101@psu.edu>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 19:39:44 GMT
Lines: 46

Ferret (dnb105@psu.edu) wrote:
: In article <3kqfl0$h0m@ss1.cam.nist.gov> koontz@cam.nist.gov (John E Koontz) writes:

: >My hypothesis on which language wins out in "conquest" situations is
: >that it's the language of the administrators.  Wessex was
: >administrated in AS; the Frankish Empire was administered in
: >(Vulgar?) Latin.  Norman England was administered in English, wasn't
: >it?  I have read that French became popular in legal contexts after
: >it had died out among the nobility. ...  

Hi - I have some legal cases from England in the 1200s and 1300s - some e
are in what I assume is Norman French, and others in Latin.  It
appears that whoever was transcribing at the time picked the language
of transcription.  Otherwise there is no apparent pattern as to when
to use Norman French and when to use Latin.  Few if any are in English.

Sample of what I assume is Norman French: 

(From Eyre of Northamptonshire, 3-4 Edward II) 

"Vn hom fu troue copable de felonie par enquest en quel il se mist.
 Fut enquis des chateus.  Lenquest dist qil fu vilein vn T.
 _Scrop._ Les chateus qil pout auer vendu sont forfez al roi. 
 Par quei les chateus furunt prises e liueres al viconte de respondre 
 roi."  

 [note - Scrop. was the chief judge] 
 
 I would render this in modern English as follows: 
 "A man was found guilty of a felony at a trial (inquest) upon which
  he put himself (he testified). The court enquired as to his chattels,
  and said that he was the villein of one T. 
  Judge Scrop ruled: The chattels that he would be allowed to sell
  will be forfeit to the King. Therefore those chattels were taken
  and delivered to the vicount [sheriff would be the modern equivalent  
  in this context] to be sold and the proceeds paid to the king."  

In the same volume are numerous cases in Latin, e.g.: 

 "Robertus filius Bartholomei de Heyford in crastino Sancte Trinitatis
  anno regni regis E. decimo apud Heyford hospitauit quosdam latrones 
  ignotos in domo sua ... "  

Hope this is of some interest - aloha, Ginny Hench
hench@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu   

