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Central French period of borrowing (13*-W*):

•    Many of tlie major concept words in administration and liigh cultnre come trom the Central French period of borrowing)

•    We can give many examples, but what is most interesting is to notice how we can tell when the word entered the language.

•    There is a major difference in pronunciation between Norman French and Central French.

•    Why is this so? The Normans are really a Germanie people (Norman means Northmen) who invaded Normandy from Scandinavia in the 9* century.

•    They learned the Romance language spoken there, but they maintained certain Germanie pattems of pronunciation.

•    Norman French words tliat begin with the k- sound (written as c) correspond to Central French words tliat begin with the sh- sound (written as ch)

•    Castle-chateau, cattle-chattel, cap-chapeau

•    Norman French initial w- corresponds to Central French iiiitial gu-: warden-guardian, ward-guard, vń\e-guile (‘ciuining’), war-guerr (‘guerrilla' wojna partyzancka), WilWam-Guillaume.

•    French loans in English are easy to spot

A.    Spellings with -ei, -ey, or -oy (attorney)

B.    Endings in -ion or -ioun (temptation)

C.    Endings in -ment (goveniment)

D.    Endings in -ence (existence) or -ance (performance)

E.    Endings in -or or -our (honour)

•    In Central French, words that end in -ous are adjectives; words that end in -us are nouns.

•    Thus, calloiis Tuthless’ is an adjective, callus ‘an area of hard skin' is a noun. This spelling coiwention still works in Modern English.