LL-L "Language policies" 2004.12.20 (02) [E]

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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language policies" 2004.12.19 (03) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>Yes, John Trevisa probably meant well when he interceded on behalf of this
low prestige peasant language labouring under the Norman yoke in the
country next door... the road to linguistic hell is paved with both good and
bad
intentions.<

I think he just followed the trend!  We have been looking at Lay Subsidy
Rolls of between 1275 and 1325 and it is remarkable/ notable that
between these two dates just how many surnames Anglised themselves - even
to the extent of a local famly called Le Francays in 1275 becoming le
Frensh by 1325 !!!

(We still have a Frenchlands Lane in the neighbouring parish!)

An interesting one : le Bruer  (Bruyère?) >> Hethe (Heath)

Also, though not absolute, many more people's names prefaced with 'atte'
rather than 'de'

In 1326 John Trevisa opens the first English speaking grammar school a year
after an Act of Parliament ( a proclamation ?) stated that the teaching
medium in schools had to be French in order to improve the quality of that
spoken language.
Sounds like a last ditch attempt at saving a language that only a few /
elite used. And John  of Cornwall's grammar school was not so much a 'slap
in the face' for Parliament but  the act of a hard nosed business man with
an eye for the main chance! If French was having to be protected by Acts of
Parliament, it really must have been on its way out! So his school was sure
to be a winner .

Heather

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language policies

Hi, Heather!

Thanks. (By the way, it was Críostóir Ó Ciardha you were quoting there.)

This is really fascinating.  So the once power language eventually had to be
legally protected!  Do you know anything about any reasoning submitted in
favor of that at the time?

I understand that all that's left of that (aside from Norman French use on
the Channel Islands) is a couple of ceremonial phrases at court; e.g., _La
Reine le veult_ 'The Queen so wishes' and _La Reine s'avvisera_ 'The Queen
will consider it' for Royal Assent, as well as _La Reine remercie ses bons
sujet de leur benevolence et ansi le veult_ 'The Queen thanks her good
subjects for their benevolence and accordingly wishes so' at Assent of a Tax
Bill.

> I think he just followed the trend!  We have been looking at Lay Subsidy
> Rolls of between 1275 and 1325 and it is remarkable/ notable that
> between these two dates just how many surnames Anglised themselves

I recently learned that this appears to have happened to the name Darwin as
well.  Apparently, it is derived from de Rouen.  I know this because an
American I know has the surname DeRouen (originally de Rouen [d at ru'a~] 'of
Rouen').  His ancestors are not from Britain, though, but are Louisiana
Cajun of Norman descent.  Up here in the north we pronounce the name
[d@'ru:@n].  In Louisiana and in other places in the south people pronounce
it ['d3rwIn] -- so *Derwin > Darwin.  What a difference Germanic stress
assignment can make!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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