CHAPTER VII.

THE ANGLO-NORMAN, AND THE LANGUAGES OF THE CLASSICAL STOCK.

s. 140. The languages of Greece and Rome belong to one and the same stock.

The Greek and its dialects, both ancient and modern, constitute the Greek or Hellenic branch of the Classical stock.

The Latin in all its dialects, the old Italian languages allied to it, and the modern tongues derived from the Roman, constitute the Latin or Ausonian branch of the Classical stock.

Now, although the Greek or Hellenic dialects are of secondary importance in the illustration of the history of the English language, the Latin or Ausonian elements require a special consideration.

The French element appeared in our language as a result of the battle of Hastings (A.D. 1066), _perhaps, in a slight degree, at a somewhat earlier period_.

s. 141. Previous to the notice of the immediate relations of the Norman-French, or, as it was called after its introduction into England, Anglo-Norman, its position in respect to the other languages derived from the Latin may be exhibited.

The Latin language overspread the greater part of the Roman empire. It supplanted a multiplicity of aboriginal languages; just as the English of North America _has_ supplanted the aboriginal tongues of the native Indians, and just as the Russian _is_ supplanting those of Siberia and Kamskatcha.

Sometimes the war that the Romans carried on against the old inhabitants was a war of extermination. In this case the original language was superseded _at once_. In other cases their influence was introduced gradually. In this case the influence of the original language was greater and more permanent. {87}

Just as in the United States the English came in contact with an American, whilst in New Holland it comes in contact with an Australian language, so was the Latin language of Rome engrafted, sometimes on a Celtic, sometimes on a Gothic, and sometimes on some other stock. The nature of the original language must always be borne in mind.

From Italy, its original seat, the Latin was extended in the following chronological order:--

1. To the Spanish Peninsula; where it overlaid or was engrafted on languages allied to the present Biscayan (_i.e._, languages of the Iberic stock), mixed in a degree (scarcely determinable) with Celtic elements=Celtiberic.

2. To Gaul, or France, where it overlaid or was engrafted on languages of the Celtic stock. This took place, at least for the more extreme parts of Gaul, in the time of Julius Caesar; for the more contiguous parts, in the earlier ages of the Republic.

3. To Dacia and Pannonia; where it overlaid or was engrafted on a language the stock whereof is undetermined. The introduction of the Latin into Dacia and Pannonia took place in the time of Trajan.

From (1stly,) the original Latin of Italy, and from the imported Latin, of (2ndly,) the Spanish Peninsula, (3rdly,) Gaul, (4thly,) Dacia and Pannonia, we have (amongst others) the following modern languages--1st Italian, 2nd Spanish and Portuguese, 3rd French, 4th Wallachian. How far these languages differ from each other is currently known. _One_ essential cause of this difference is the difference of the original language upon which the Latin was engrafted.

s. 142. I am not doing too much for the sake of system if I classify the languages, of which the Italian, French, &c., are the representatives, as the languages of Germany were classified, _viz._, into divisions.

I. The Spanish and Portuguese are sufficiently like the Italian to be arranged in a single division. This may conveniently be called the Hesperian division.

II. The second division is the Transalpine. This comprises the languages of Gaul, _viz._, the Modern French, the {88} Anglo-Norman, and the Provencal. It also includes a language not yet mentioned, the Romanese (_Rumonsch_), or the language of the Grisons, or Graubuenten, of Switzerland.

_Specimen of the Romanese_.

_Luke_ XV. 11.

11. Uen Hum veva dus Filgs:

12. Ad ilg juven da quels schet alg Bab, "Bab mi dai la Part de la Rauba c' aud' [`a] mi:" ad el parch[`e] or ad els la Rauba.

13. A bucca bears Gis suenter, cur ilg Filg juven vet tut mess ansemel, scha til[`a] 'l navent en uenna Terra dalunsch: a lou sfiget el tut sia Rauba cun viver senza spargn.

14. A cur el vet tut sfaig, scha vangit ei en quella Terra uen grond Fumaz: ad el antschavet a ver basengs.

15. Ad el m[`a], [`a]: sa plid[`e] enn uen Burgeis da quella Terra; a quel ilg tarmatet or sin s[^e]s Beins a parchirar ils Porcs.

16. Ad el grigiava dad amplanir sieu Venter cun las Criscas ch' ils Porcs malgiavan; mo nagin lgi deva.

17. Mo el m[`a] en sasez a schet: "Quonts Fumelgs da mieu Bab han budonza da Pann, a jou miei d' fom!"

18. "Jou vi lavar si, ad ir tier mieu Bab, e vi gir a lgi: 'Bab, jou hai faig puccau ancunter ilg Tschiel ad avont tei;

19. "'A sunt bucca pli vangonts da vangir numnaus tieu Filg: fai mei esser sco uen da tes Fumelgs.'"

III. The third division is the Dacian, Pannonian, or Wallachian, containing the present languages of Wallachia and Moldavia.

In the _Jahrbuecher der Literatur_, June, 1829, specimens are given of two of its dialects: 1, the Daco-Wallachian, north of the Danube; 2, the Macedono-Wallachian, south of the Danube. The present specimen varies from both. It is taken from the New Testament, printed at Smyrna, 1838. The Dacian division is marked by placing the article after the noun, as _homul_=_the man_=_homo ille_.

_Luke_ XV. 11.

11. Un om avea do[)i] fec'or[)i].

12. Shi a zis c'el ma[)i] tinr din e[)i] tatlu[)i] su: tat, dm[)i] partea c'e mi se kade de avucie: shi de a imprcit lor avuciea.

13. Shi nu dup multe zile, adunint toate fec orul c'el ma[)i] tinr, s'a dus intr 'o car departe, shi akolo a rsipit toat avuciea ca, viecuind intr dezm[)i]erdr[)i].

{89} 14. Shi keltuind el toate, c'a fkut foamete mare intr' ac'ea car: shi el a inc'eput a se lipsi.

15. Shi mergina c'a lipit de unul din lkuitori[)i] cri[)i] ac'eia: si 'l a trimis pre el la carinide sale c pask porc'i[)i].

16. Shi doria c 'sh[)i] sature pinctec'ele s[)u] de roshkobele c'e minka porc'i[)i]; shi nimin[)i] nu [)i] da lu[)i].

17. Iar viind intru sine, a zis: kic[)i] argac[)i] a[)i] tatlu[)i] mie[)u] sint indestulac[)i] de pi[)i]ne, iar e[)u] p[)i]ei[)u] de foame.

18. Skula-m-vio[)u], shi m' voi[)u] duc'e la tata mic[)u], shi vio[)u] zic'e lui:

19. Tat, greshit-am la c'er shi inaintea ta, shi nu mai sint vrednik a m kema fiul t[)u]; fm ka pre unul din argaci[)i] t[)i].

s. 143. Such is the _general_ view of the languages derived from the Latin, _i.e._, of the languages of the Latin branch of the Classical stock.

The French languages of the Transalpine division require to be more minutely exhibited.

Between the provincial French of the north and the provincial French of the south, there is a difference, at the present day, at least of dialect, and perhaps of language. This is shown by the following specimens: the first from the canton of Arras, on the confines of Flanders; the second, from the department of Var, in Provence. The date of each is A.D. 1807.

I.

_Luke_ XV. 11.

11. Ain homme avoueait deeux garch['e]ons.

12. L'pus jone dit a sain p[`e]re, "Main p[`e]re, baill['e] m'chou qui doueo me 'r'v'nir ed vous bien," et leu p[`e]re leu partit sain bien.

13. Ain n'sais yur, tro, quate, ch['e]on jours apr[`e]s l'pus ti[`o] d'cn['e]s d['e]eux ['e]f['e]ans oyant r'cu['e]ll['e] tout s'n' h['e]ritt'main, s'ot' ainvoye dains n[^a]in pahis gramain loueon, d[^u] qu'il ['e]chilla tout s'n' argint ain fageant l'braingand dains ch['e]s cabarets.

14. Abord qu'il o eu tout bu, tout mi['e] et tout dr['e]l['e], il o v'nu adonc dains ch' pahis lo ainn' famaine cruueelle, et i c'mainchouait d'avoir fon-ye d' pon-ye (_i.e_. faim de pain).

II.

THE SAME.

11. Un hom['e] avi['e] dous enfans.

12. Lou plus pichoun digu['e]t a son paeir['e], "Moun paeir['e], dounas mi ce qu[`e] {90} mi reven de vouastr['e] ben;" lou paeir['e] faguet lou partag['e] de tout ce que pouss['e]davo.

13. Paou de jours apr[`e]s, lou pichoun vend['e]t tout se qu[`e] soun paeir['e] li avi['e] desamparat, et s'en an['e]t dins un paeis fourco luench, ount['e] dissip['e]t tout soun ben en debaucho.

14. Quand agu['e]t ton aecaba, uno grosso famino arribet dins aqueou paeis et, leou, si vegu['e]t reduech [`a] la derniero mis[`e]ro.

Practically speaking, although in the central parts of France the northern and southern dialects melt each into the other, the Loire may be considered as a line of demarcation between two languages; the term language being employed because, in the Middle Ages, whatever may be their real difference, the northern tongue and the southern tongue were dealt with not as separate dialects, but as distinct languages--the southern being called Provencal, the northern Norman-French.

Of these two languages (for so they will in the following pages be called, for the sake of convenience) the southern or Provencal approaches the dialects of Spain; the Valencian of Spain and the Catalonian of Spain being Provencal rather than standard Spanish or Castilian.

The southern French is sometimes called the Langue d'Oc, and sometimes the Limousin.

It is in the Southern French (Provencal, Langue d'Oc, or Limousin) that we have the following specimen, _viz_., the Oath of Ludwig, sworn A.D. 842.

_The Oath of the King._

Pro Deo amur et pro Xristian poblo et nostro commun salvament, d'ist di en avant, in quant Deus savir et podir me dunat, si salvarai eo cist meon fradre Karlo, et in ajudha et in cadhuna cosa, si cum om per dreit son fradra salvar dist, in o quid il mi altresi fazet: et ab Ludher nul plaid nunquam prindrai qui, meon vol, cist meon fradre Karle in damno sit.

_The Oath of the People._

Si Loduuigs sagrament, que son fradre Karlo jurat, conservat; et Karlus, meos sendra, de suo part non lo stanit; si io returnar non l'int pois, ne io, ne neuls cui eo returnar int pois, in nulla ajudha contra Lodhuwig num li iver.

_The same in Modern French._

Pour de Dieu l'amour et pour du Chr[^e]tien peuple et le notre commun salut, de ce jour en avant, en quant que Dieu savoir et pouvoir me donne {91} assur['e]ment sauverai moi ce mon fr[`e]re Charles, et en aide, et en chacune chose, ainsi comme homme par droit son fr[`e]re sauver doit, en cela que lui [`a] moi pareillement fera: et avec Lothaire nul trait['e] ne onques prendrai qui, [`a] mon vouloir, [`a] ce mien fr[`e]re Charles en dommage soit.

* * * * *

Si Louis le serment, qu'[`a] son fr[`e]re Charles il jure, conserve; Charles, mon seigneur, de sa part ne le maintient; si je d['e]tourner ne l'en puis, ni moi, ne nul que je d['e]tourner en puis, en nulle aide contre Louis ne lui irai.

s. 144. The Norman-French, spoken from the Loire to the confines of Flanders, and called also the Langue d'Oyl, differed from the Provencal in (amongst others) the following circumstances.

1. It was of later origin; the southern parts of Gaul having been colonized at an early period by the Romans.

2. It was in geographical contact, not with the allied languages of Spain, but with the Gothic tongues of Germany and Holland.

It is the Norman-French that most especially bears upon the history of the English language.

The proportion of the original Celtic in the present languages of France has still to be determined. It may, however, be safely asserted, that at a certain epoch between the first and fifth centuries, the language of Gaul was more Roman and less Celtic than that of Britain.

SPECIMEN.

_From the Anglo-Norman Poem of Charlemagne._

Un jur fu Karl['e]un al Seint-Denis muster, Reout prise sa corune, en croiz seignat sun chef, E ad ceinte sa esp['e]e: li pons fud d'or mer. Dux i out e demeines e baruns e chevalers. Li emper[`e]res reguardet la reine sa muillers. Ele fut ben corun['e]e al plus bel e as meuz. Il la prist par le poin desuz un oliver, De sa pleine parole la prist [`a] reisuner: "Dame, v['e]istes unkes humc nul de desuz ceil Tant ben s['e]ist esp['e]e ne la corone el chef? Uncore cunquerrei-jo citez ot mun espeez." Cele ne fud pas sage, folement respondeit: {92} "Emperere," dist-ele, trop vus poez preiser. "Uncore en sa-jo on ki plus se fait l['e]ger, Quant il porte corune entre ses chevalers; Kaunt il met sur sa teste, plus belement lui set."

In the northern French we must recognise not only a Celtic and a Classical, but also a Gothic element: since Clovis and Charlemagne were no Frenchmen, but Germans; their language being _High_-Germanic. The High-Germanic element in French has still to be determined.

In the northern French of _Normandy_ there is a second Gothic element, _viz._, a Scandinavian element. By this the proper northern French underwent a further modification.

Until the time of the Scandinavians or Northmen, the present province of Normandy was called Neustria. A generation before the Norman Conquest, a Norwegian captain, named in his own country _Rolf_, and in France _Rollo_, or _Rou_, settled upon the coast of Normandy. What Hengist and the Germans are supposed to have been in Britain, Rollo and his Scandinavians were in France. The province took from them its name of Normandy. The _Norwegian_ element in the Norman-French has yet to be determined. Respecting it, however, the following statements may, even in the present state of the question, be made:--

1. That a Norse dialect was spoken in Normandy at Bayeux, some time after the battle of Hastings.

2. That William the Conqueror understood the Norse language.

3. That the names Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney are as truly Norse names as Orkney and Shetland.

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