How did the Norman Conquest of 1066 change the English language and literature?

The Norman Conquest of 1066 profoundly reshaped the English language and its literary landscape by establishing a trilingual culture where English competed with Latin and Anglo-Norman French.12

Linguistic Impact

The conquest led to the "Frenchification" of the English lexicon. As French-speaking Normans occupied positions of power, Anglo-Norman became the language of the court, law, administration, and education. This created a lasting legacy where many formal or "fancy" English words have French origins, often existing alongside native English counterparts. Additionally, the conquest introduced the Carolingian script, which replaced the earlier insular hand and altered English spelling conventions (e.g., changing cw to qu and hw to wh).3452

Literary Impact

The status of English as a literary medium suffered a significant decline, with the vernacular largely disappearing from the written record for nearly two centuries. During this period, Anglo-Norman literature flourished, producing romances, religious and didactic works, and historical chronicles. While native English poetry continued to be composed in the immediate post-conquest years, the shift toward French and Latin dominance meant that English literature did not begin to re-emerge as a major force until the 13th century.3546