According to the material, which languages did Normans use for writing and speaking?

According to the material, which languages did Normans use for writing and speaking?

• A. Wrote documents in Latin; spoke Latin or French, as English was the commoners language.
• B. Wrote in English and spoke in Latin.
• C. Wrote in French and spoke in English.
• D. Wrote in German and spoke in French.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that language use in Norman England was split between writing and everyday speech. Official records and documents were written in Latin, the language of the church and educated scribes. When people spoke, the Norman rulers and their administration used French (the Norman-French language) or Latin in many contexts, while English persisted as the language of the common people. So the statement that documents were written in Latin and that spoken language included Latin or French—because English was mainly the language of commoners—fits the historical pattern described.

The main idea here is that language use in Norman England was split between writing and everyday speech. Official records and documents were written in Latin, the language of the church and educated scribes. When people spoke, the Norman rulers and their administration used French (the Norman-French language) or Latin in many contexts, while English persisted as the language of the common people. So the statement that documents were written in Latin and that spoken language included Latin or French—because English was mainly the language of commoners—fits the historical pattern described.