What do Roman legions, Viking raiders, and Norman knights have in common? They didn’t just fight battles — they changed the words we speak every day.
In this episode of Why Wars Happened, linguist Dr. Colin Gorrie reveals how centuries of conquest shaped modern English:
🏛️ Rome’s legacy → Latin roots in law, politics & culture
🛡️ Viking invasions → everyday words like sky, egg, they
👑 Norman Conquest (1066) → French words of power: court, jury, beef
📜 How Old English collapsed & Middle English rose
🔊 Why modern English sounds so different from its Germanic roots
👉 If you’ve ever wondered why English feels like a chaotic mix of Latin, French, and German — this is the hidden history you need to know.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Why Wars Happened
00:49 – Meet Dr. Colin Gorrie
01:22 – How war shapes language
03:25 – The Norman Conquest & French rule
07:11 – Vikings, the Danelaw & Norse words
22:52 – Borrowed words from conflict & trade
26:31 – 1066 & the Norman takeover
28:47 – Fall of Old English, rise of Middle English
31:36 – The Great Vowel Shift
35:58 – Latin’s lingering influence
40:21 – War, trade & crossroads of language
51:00 – Wrapping up
#HistoryOfEnglish #Vikings #NormanConquest #LanguageHistory #Latin #French #MilitaryHistory #WhyWarsHappened
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