Origins of English words and Class!

The English language derives mainly from

1. Old German - the Anglos and Saxons conquered Britain in the 5th century
2. Old French - the Normans conquered England in 1066

After the Norman invasion, England was dominated by a small French aristocracy, ruling over a much larger German working class. For centuries, the rulers of England spoke a Latin-derived language, while the common person spoke a Germanic language.

German - French
begin - commence
talk/speak - discuss/converse
ask - inquire
teach - educate
understand - comprehend
before - prior
come - arrive
meet - encounter
hearty welcome - cordial reception
feeling - sentiment
help - assist
mistake - error
yearly - annual
youth - juvenile/adolescent
earth - soil
cold - frigid
wild - savage
belly - abdomen
buy - purchase
eat - dine