The Evolution of Words: Estate, State, Noble

For more than a century following the Norman Conquest, English writing fell out of favor. During that hiatus, French words continued to flow into English. A lot of those words were associated with the manors that dotted the English countryside where most of the peasants lived and worked. In this episode, we look at some of those French and Latin words associated with manors and peasants.  We also examine how the manorial courts were used as tool to exploit the peasants and tie them to the land.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 70