The story of language is often the story of nations. English and French—two languages separated by the English Channel—have a history deeply intertwined with the complex cultural, economic, and political struggles between England and France. This is a rivalry that has spanned over a thousand years.
In this episode, we’ll dive deep into this epic battle of languages, exploring how this clash shaped modern English and ultimately decided the global language landscape we know today!
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In our last few episodes, we talked about how the Black Death gave English a major glow-up—a chance to shake off its “peasant language” label and step into the spotlight.
But hold up—before that plague even hit, England had already spent a few centuries living under French influence. After the Norman Conquest, French wasn’t just the language of the rulers—it was the language of class. Think royalty, fashion, high society… even the word beef sounds fancier in French, right?
And no, French didn’t just lend English a bunch of fancy words—it got way more personal than that.
In this episode, we’re diving into how French got under English’s skin—literally changing its core structure. From the super complex grammar of Old English with all its word endings, to the smoother, more flexible sentence structures of Middle English, French played a huge role in the makeover.
So grab your linguistic time-travel gear—we’re going to find out how English got a whole new identity, with a little help from its stylish (and slightly bossy) neighbor across the Channel.
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Building on last episode’s drama with the Black Death and the Hundred Years’ War, English finally started climbing out of its “common folk’s language” status in England.
But back then, English was all over the place — different regions spoke their own dialects, and there was no real standard for spelling or pronunciation. So who stepped up after the social shake-up caused by the Black Death to help “shape” English into what it would become?
In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes heroes who pushed English toward its first real rules and consistency.
Come along as we dive into the three big forces that teamed up to turn messy Middle English into a more unified, polished language!

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In the first couple of episodes, we saw how French took over as the language of power after the Norman Conquest, while English got pushed down to just being the “common folks’ talk.” But guess what? History had a major plot twist coming!
This episode, we’re diving into two game-changing events that flipped the script for English — the Black Death and the Hundred Years’ War.
Together, these epic events helped kick the old ruling class’s language to the curb and put English back in the spotlight. Slowly but surely, English shook off its “common tongue” label and, by 1362, even got crowned the official language by law. Yep, that was the big moment when English made its comeback tour!
So buckle up and let’s explore the wild ride of how English went from zero to hero.

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Following the epic saga of the Norman Conquest last time, today we're diving into an even deeper story — a “cultural takeover” like no other. In 1066, the Normans didn’t just seize England’s land and crown; they shook up the language game big time.
During over three centuries of Norman rule, French was the “fancy” language — the one that screamed power and high society. Meanwhile, good old Anglo-Saxon (Old English) got shoved down the ladder and was seen as the rough, common “peasant talk.”
So buckle up and join us as we uncover this wild language flip-flop that forever changed the face of English!

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Ready to time travel? Let’s jump back to 1066 — the year that totally changed England’s fate!
In this episode, we’re diving into the tangled, neighborly drama between England and France, and how early royal connections set the stage for some serious fireworks.
King Edward the Confessor died without an heir, and bam! Suddenly, everyone wanted the throne. Enter Duke William of Normandy, a guy with big ambitions, rallying feudal lords from all over to invade. Meanwhile, King Harold is sprinting north and south, trying to fend off attacks from all sides, leading up to the epic showdown at the Battle of Hastings…
This wasn’t just a fight for power — it was the grand opening act of the “Norman Conquest” saga. The outcome flipped England’s political game upside down, kicked off over 300 years of Norman rule, and laid down the groundwork for French language and culture to deeply influence Britain.
So buckle up and join us as we unravel the dramatic prologue that shaped a thousand years of English-French twists and turns!
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Starting from the late 8th century, Vikings began showing up in England frequently. By the 9th century, these “Northern visitors” weren’t just raiding anymore—they wanted to conquer and settle. Eventually, they established a huge region in northeastern England governed by Danish law, known as the Danelaw.
It was within this Danelaw that Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, and the local Old English (Anglo-Saxon) started an unprecedented, deep blend. These two languages share the same roots and have many similarities, which made it easy for them to influence each other.
This fusion brought profound and lasting changes to English. Grammatically, Norse sped up the simplification of Old English’s complex word endings, making English easier to understand down the line. Vocabulary-wise, a flood of everyday core words like get, cut, sky, law, happy, and even the personal pronouns they, their, and them came straight from Norse and stuck around.
In today’s episode, we’ll dive deep into how the Vikings, through their Danelaw, imprinted their culture and habits onto English, embedding pirate DNA in the very grammar and vocabulary we still use today!
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Last time we followed the Vikings’ footsteps and dug into their language. Today, we’re diving into something way cooler—“Runes”! You’ve probably heard they’re old Nordic letters, but guess what? They’re way more than just writing!
This episode, we’re checking out those badass symbols carved into battleaxes and stone pillars. Runes weren’t just letters—they were like magical power codes that shaped how the Vikings lived and believed. Let’s crack the code together!
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