People and their originsPeople and their origins. Race relations. Social class. People and their origins
Normans, branch of the Scandinavian Vikings: settled in Northern France > intermarried with the French > assimilated language and customs - the last invaders from Scandinavia and the Continent of Europe - conquered England in 1066.
The English language (formed in the 14th century) = Anglo-Saxon+ Norman-French Celtic languages: in Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland. English is the language predominantly spoken in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Wales Welsh, a form of British Celtic, is spoken by some 20 per cent of the population. The Welsh Language Council promotes the use of the language: a number of bilingual schools, radio and TV programmes, newspapers in Welsh. The Scottish form of Gaelic is spoken by over 80,000 persons in Scotland (the Highlands; western coastal regions). The Irish form of Gaelic is spoken by a few families in Northern Ireland The Cornish variety of Celtic is dead, although there is a revival of cultural interest. The English: over 4/5 of the total population; the Scotsmen, Welshmen and Irishmen: about 15 per cent.
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