French and English: Two Languages with a Shared History

This illustrated lecture will address the history of the French language from its Latin origins to the present, with a focus on the relationship between French and English. We will examine maps, monuments, manuscript illuminations, and paintings to establish the historical context of each era of linguistic development. We will then discuss the major phenomena that shaped spoken and written French. Much of our discussion will focus on the French influence on English in the late Middle Ages, and on the influence of English on French since the nineteenth century. Other topics we will discuss include the transition from Latin to French, the reasons for which people began to write in French, how French dialects were replaced by a standard language, and the future of the French language.

Mark Cruse is Associate Professor of French at Arizona State University. He received his BA from Amherst College and his PhD from New York University. His research interests include the history of Paris, the legend of Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, the Mongols, the history of cartography and exploration, and the history of the book.