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North-South Linguistic Divide
- The Viking settlements in northern and eastern England created a distinct north-south linguistic divide still present today.
- Norse words and grammar changes in this region laid the groundwork for modern English, differing from southern dialects.
Yorkshire Dialect Viking Influence
- A 1980s PBS documentary clip shows Yorkshire dialect rich in Viking-derived words distinct from southern English.
- Words like 'addle' (earn) and 'lo' (jump) illustrate strong Norse influence on northern English speech.
Norse Influence Extent and Evidence
- About 600-900 Norse words exist in modern English, but many more have been lost, with originally Norse-heavy vocabulary in the north.
- English literacy in Viking-settled regions was sparse, limiting contemporary written evidence of Norse influence.