Old French language

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July 1, 2026

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Old French was the French language spoken from the 9th to the 16th century, with a particular focus on the period between the 9th and 13th centuries. It evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form of Latin used throughout the Roman Empire, influenced by Celtic and Germanic languages. The earliest surviving text in Old French is the Strasbourg Oaths from 842.123

Initially, various dialects existed, but the Francien dialect, spoken in the region around Paris, gained prominence due to the city's political and cultural influence. This dialect eventually formed the basis for modern French. Old French was a rich literary medium, with significant works in genres like epic poems (chansons de geste) and romances. Anglo-Norman, a dialect of Old French, was widely used in medieval England.2435

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French language
Characteristics
…account for exotic features in Old French, such as strong stress accent and abundant use of diphthongs and nasal vowels, but by the 15th century the language had begun to change, and a sober (even monotonous) intonation and loss of a stress accent became characteristic. The popularity of French as…
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…account for exotic features in Old French, such as strong stress accent and abundant use of diphthongs and nasal vowels, but by the 15th century the language had begun to change, and a sober (even monotonous) intonation and loss of a stress accent became characteristic. The popularity of French as…
Read More

French literature
The origins of the French language
…by the time a recognizable Old French had developed, various dialects had evolved, notably Francien (in the Île-de-France, the region around Paris), Picard, Champenois, and Norman. From the last one stemmed Anglo-Norman, the French used alongside English in Britain, especially among the upper classes, from even before the Norman Conquest…
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…by the time a recognizable Old French had developed, various dialects had evolved, notably Francien (in the Île-de-France, the region around Paris), Picard, Champenois, and Norman. From the last one stemmed Anglo-Norman, the French used alongside English in Britain, especially among the upper classes, from even before the Norman Conquest…
Read More