The English Conquest
From Robert Armstrong Sir: In his review of Melvyn Bragg's book The Adventure of English (Books, 22 November), Andrew Roberts talked about `the battle for survival that Old English had to fight after the Norman Conquest'. In fact, it was the other way round. France, Spain and Italy were in their time occupied by various German, Scandinavian and Arab tribes, but the populations held on to their Latin-based language. Against this trend in England the Norman invaders (who originally, of course, came from Scandinavia) managed to insert 10,000 French words into the English language.
Mr Roberts also spoke of King Alfred `saving the language by beating the Norsemen'. Again, the reverse is true. Danish and Old English were so very similar that when the two populations were living side
by side a great simplification of language took place, so that they could understand one another. As a result, English is an easy, uninflected language capable of conquering the world.
Robert Armstrong
Bromley, Kent
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