List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations

This List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations describes various English words generally describing the same person, place or thing with two or more different words. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 many of the more refined English (Anglo-Saxon) words describing finished products were replaced by words imported from Anglo-Norman (such as "beef," a prepared food). In contrast, common unfinished equivalents continued to use the native English term (such as "cow," a living animal). This replacement can be explained by the fact that meat was an expensive product at the time and that the lord and nobleman of Norman origin were eating it more often than the commoners, who were raising the livestock. This duality is also mirrored in French, where "beef" is boeu

List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations

This List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations describes various English words generally describing the same person, place or thing with two or more different words. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066 many of the more refined English (Anglo-Saxon) words describing finished products were replaced by words imported from Anglo-Norman (such as "beef," a prepared food). In contrast, common unfinished equivalents continued to use the native English term (such as "cow," a living animal). This replacement can be explained by the fact that meat was an expensive product at the time and that the lord and nobleman of Norman origin were eating it more often than the commoners, who were raising the livestock. This duality is also mirrored in French, where "beef" is boeu