A simple What If about English history.
What If Alfred The Great is unable to stop the Vikings from fully conquering Wessex?
What If Alfred The Great is unable to stop the Vikings from fully conquering Wessex?
Uh, didn't Canute and his father succeed at capturing London and conquer Wessex ? they rule isn't permanent, even if Viking kill Alfred, they rule will also temporary. English wouldn't just disappear because of two or three Viking king rule for a time.
Since the Vikings would also be Christians, the effects on a national language wouldn't be so great, but without Norman French a lot of words might be different. If the Vikings ended up ruling from Wessex, it is possible that the verb "to be" would become more regularised:
Present: I be, thou be, he be
Future: I will be etc
Past: I been
Negative: I baint
Since the Vikings would also be Christians, the effects on a national language wouldn't be so great, but without Norman French a lot of words might be different. If the Vikings ended up ruling from Wessex, it is possible that the verb "to be" would become more regularised:
Present: I be, thou be, he be
Future: I will be etc
Past: I been
Negative: I baint
Hunh?
Given that "are" as in "you are" is from Norse, why would they suddenly switch to 'be'.
What I mean is Sweyn and Canute rule didn't change much in English language, so a Viking kill an English king and rule Wessex/England 60-100 years earlier wouldn't have much effect on English language or society. eventually Vikings dynasty will be overthrow or anglicized.I'm pretty sure Canute was born nearly a hundred years after Alfred and his father Sweyn was born 61 years after the death of Alfred.