what language was spoken in medieval Britain?

Answer 1

There were versions of French and English - with lots of dialects.

Old French, in fact, had a dialect which was specifically English (Anglo-Norman) though people spoke and wrote in other French dialects as well. There was a great deal of international travel, especially connected with the courts of rulers and with trade, and people brought their native dialects with them.

There was Latin. How far people spoke Latin is an intriguing question, but it was the standard language for Christian learning and for Christian prayer, so quite a few people knew it.

The same applies to Hebrew, at least until 1290, when all Jews were thrown out of England. This doesn't mean that Jews were native Hebrew speakers: in fact, most (though not all) were native speakers of Old French, though many would have also spoken Middle English, and some (who came from the Arab world or the Spanish peninsula) started their lives speaking other languages entirely. Aramaic was known by a select few, almost solely for praying/religious purposes.

A few people at court may have been able to understand Old Occitan, in order to read the poems of the troubadours (mainly about love and war, but that is another subject). We don't know how many these few were - it may have been ten, or a hundred. Certainly at least one Queen of England knew Old Occitan: Eleanor of Aquitaine would have spoken it.

Cornish was alive and well (at least in Cornwall) but does not appear to have been written down much, and England's traffic with Wales and Brittany meant that some people would have had some knowledge of Welsh and Breton.

Very, very few people had any knowledge of Greek, even for scholarly purposes.

Some crusaders may have picked up Arabic, and several Jewish scholars in England knew Arabic.

Answer 2

Old English or Anglo-Saxon and a later period traditionally called Middle English. Old English, the language of Beowulf and "The Seafarer," spoken in Britain from the end of the fifth century at least through the end of the eleventh, is very unfamiliar to us, indeed. After that, the Middle English of Chaucer and even of Langland and Julian of Norwich will seem like something we have seen and heard before (although it sounds more different than it looks). Most of the Middle English we will experience was committed to writing in the second half of the fourteenth century. The three-century gap between the last Old English literature we will study and the Middle English literature in our reading list is related to some extent at least to the effects of the Norman Conquest of England which occurred in 1066.

Answer 3

Well, it depends on who you were and where you were. Medieval Britain was split in language, and it was more or less based on class. If you were upper class, you spoke Norman French, as the Normans had invaded and chased or killed out most of the Anglo-Saxons uppers. Lower class people tended to speak their "english" which was a mixture of celtic/briton, German Anglo-Saxon, with a smattering of french. The majority was germanic, then french with a small (TINY) amount of the original briton language still around. This is what is considered "Old English". Chaucer was one of the first writers to pen in the vernacular of the people (write the way the people spoke). The language evoleved over time and eventually became what it is.

Answer 4

The English court spoke French...as all 'cultured' people did then. Remember, in 1066 it was a Frenchman (so to speak), William (The Conquerer) who wrested the English throne from Harold.
I would also think that Latin was still prevalant in some circles but again, French was the language of nobles. Olde English (see Chaucer's Canterbury tales or Beowulf for examples) was used by common folk.

Answer 5

depends what period you are referring to and where in Britain.
In the very early days of England, old English (Anglo saxon).This in turn transmuted into Middle English. When the Normans invaded Norman French became the official language of court. Up until the reign of King John, none of the Norman Angevin kings spoke English at all. However, English again became dominant, whilst absorbing a lot of French words.
In Scotland the natives would have spoken Gaelic, while in Wales they would have spoken Welsh. Cornwall still spoke Cornish then--linguistically very close to Welsh.

Answer 6

English

Answer 7

It could depend upon which social class you were in. But to define it specifically then it's usually known as Middle English. A fine example of which can be seen in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. In places such as Scotland and Wales they would have their own versions of Celt as well.

It was common for those in the Royal Court to speak French and amongst the clergy Latin and classical Greek.

Answer 8

Middle English.

For an example of it, read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Answer 9

WRITTEN AND SPOKEN ENGLISH THROUGH THE AGES

I've provided a quick tour of the English language and some of the changes it has seen. Included for your reading pleasure is a brief tour of Old English and Middle English.

Below is an excerpt of The Nativity according to Luke, first in Old English, then in Middle English (two translations, about 225 years apart). If you look at them carefully, you can see the similarities—and the striking differences. Those who know German or a Scandinavian language can see why English is called a sister language of German. Also, there was a time back in the Old English period when the Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic) and English were mutually understandable. English is certainly the one that has broken further away from the other four (Scandinavians can still pretty much understand each other’s dialects). The strong influence of Latin (mostly through the church and scholars), and the Norman invasion of England, brought about significant changes in the language, as did a host of smaller influences.
The Nativity was chosen because the gospels are available in all three "languages".

Old English

Soþlice on þam dagum wæs geworden gebod fram þam casereAugusto, þæt eall ymbehwyrft wære tomearcod. Þeos tomearcodneswæs æryst geworden fram þam deman Syrige Cirino. And ealle hig eodon,and syndrige ferdon on hyra ceastre. Ða ferde Iosep fram Galilea of þæreceastre Nazareth on Iudeisce ceastre Dauides, seo is genemned Bethleem, for þam þe he wæs of Dauides huse and hirede; þæt he ferde mid Marianþe him beweddod wæs, and wæs geeacnod. Soþlice wæs geworden þa hi þar wæron, hire dagas wæron gefyllede þæt heo cende. And heo cende hyre frumcennedan sunu, and hine mid cildclaþum bewand, and hine on binne alede, for þam þe hig næfdon rum on cumena huse. And hyrdas wæron on þam ylcan rice waciende, and nihtwæccan healdende ofer heora heorda. Þa stod Drihtnes engel wiþ hig, and Godes beorhtnes him ymbe scean; and hi him mycelum ege adredon. And se engel him to cwæð, Nelle ge eow adrædan; soþlice nu ic eow bodie mycelne gefean, se bið eallum folce; for þam to dæg eow ys Hælend acenned, se is Drihten Crist, on Dauides ceastre. And þis tacen eow byð: Ge gemetað an cild hræglum bewunden, and on binne aled. And þa wæs færinga geworden mid þam engle mycelnes heofenlices werydes, God heriendra and þus cweþendra, Gode sy wuldor on heahnesse, and on eorðan sybb mannum godes willan.
. .
Middle English

(Translation by John Wycliffe, c. AD-1380-to-AD-1383)
And it was don in tho daies, a maundement wente out fro the emperour August, that al the world schulde be discryued. This firste discryuyng was maad of Cyryn, iustice of Sirie. And alle men wenten to make professioun, ech in to his owne citee. And Joseph went vp fro Galilee, fro the citee Nazareth, in to Judee, in to a citee of Dauid, that is clepid Bethleem, for that he was of the hous and of the meyne of Dauid, that he schulde knouleche with Marie, his wijf, that was weddid to hym, and was greet with child. And it was don, while thei weren there, the daies were fulfillid, that sche schulde bere child. And sche bare hir first borun sone, and wlappide hym in clothis, and leide hym in a cratche, for ther was no place to hym in no chaumbir. And scheepherdis weren in the same cuntre, wakynge and kepynge the watchis of the nygt on her flok. And lo! the aungel of the Lord stood bisidis hem, and the cleernesse of God schinede aboute hem; and thei dredden with greet drede. And the aungel seide to hem, Nyle ye drede; for lo! Y preche to you a greet ioye, that schal be to al puple. For a sauyoure is borun to dai to you, that is Crist the Lord, in the citee of Dauid. And this is a tokene to you; ye schulen fynde a yong child wlappid in clothis, and leid in a cratche. And sudenli ther was maad with the aungel a multitude of heuenli knygthod, heriynge God, and seiynge, Glorie be in the higeste thingis to God, and in erthe pees be to men of good wille. .

King James version c. AD-1604

And it came to passe in those dayes, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was gouernor of Syria) And all went to bee taxed, euery one into his owne citie. And Joseph also went vp fro Galilee, out of the citie of Nazareth, into Judea, vnto the citie of Dauid, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and linage of Dauid,) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the dayes were accomplished that she should be deliuered. And she brought foorth her first borne sonne, and wrapped him in swadling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no roome for them in the Inne. And there were in the same countrey shepheards abiding in y field, keeping watch ouer their flocke by night. And loe, the Angel of the Lord came vpon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said vnto them, Feare not: For behold, I bring you good tidings of great ioy, which shall be to all people. For vnto you is borne this day, in the citie of Dauid, a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a signe vnto you; yee shall find the babe wrapped in swadling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heauenly hoste praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

Answer 10

ye olde angloish, by my beard