Which English word pairs show influences from Norman French and Francien French?
Following the expansion of the Angevin empire in the 12th century, English vocabulary was enriched by both Norman French and Central French (Francien). This resulted in pairs of wordsâoften called doubletsâwhere the English language adopted terms from both dialects, frequently leading to differences in spelling and meaning.
The following word pairs illustrate these distinct linguistic influences:
| Norman French Form | Francien (Central French) Form |
| :--- | :--- |
| canal | channel |
| catch | chase |
| leal | loyal |
| real | royal |
| reward | regard |
| wage | gage |
| warden | guardian |
| warrant | guarantee |
These variations occurred because Norman French was the primary influence in England immediately following the Norman Conquest, while Francien gradually gained prestige and dominance as the Capetian kings of Paris increased their influence.1