A history of the English Language

74.
The Earliest Borrowing.
The extent of this influence on English place-nomenclature would lead us to expect a 
large infiltration of other words into the vocabulary. But we should not expect this 
infiltration to show itself at once. The early relations of the invaders with the English 
were too hostile to lead to much natural intercourse, and we must allow time for such 
words as the Anglo-Saxons learned from their enemies to find their way into literature. 
The number of Scandinavian words that appear in Old English is consequently small, 
amounting to only about two score. The largest single group of these is such as would be 
associated with a sea-roving and predatory people. Words like 
barda
(beaked ship), 
cnearr
(small warship), 
scegþ
(vessel), 
liþ
(fleet), 
scegþmann
(pirate), 
dreng 
(warrior), 
h
ā
(oarlock) and 
(rower in a warship), 
b
ā
tswegen
(boatman, source of Modern 
English 
boatswain
), 
hofding
(chief, ringleader), 
orrest
(battle), 
r
ā
n
(robbery, rapine), and
 
fylcian
(to collect or marshal a force) show in what respects the invaders chiefly 
impressed the English. A little later we find a number of words relating to the law or 
characteristic of the social and administrative system of the Danelaw. The word 
law
itself 
is of Scandinavian origin, as is the word 
outlaw
. The word 
m
ā
l
(action at law), 
hold
(freeholder), 
wapentake
(an administrative district), 
h
ū
sting
(assembly), and 
riding
(originally 
thriding,
one of the former divisions of Yorkshire) owe their use to the Danes. 
In addition to these, a number of genuine Old English words seem to be translations of 
Scandinavian terms: 
b
ō
tl
ē
as
(what cannot be compensated), 
h
ā
ms
ō
cn
(attacking an 
enemy in his house), 
lahc
ē
ap
(payment for reentry into lost legal rights), 
landc
ē
ap
(tax 
paid when land was bought) are examples of such translations.
17
English legal
17
Cf. E.Björkman, 
Scandinavian Loan-words in Middle English 
(Halle, Germany, 1900–1902), p. 
12. 
Foreign influences on old english 89

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terminology underwent a complete reshaping after the Norman Conquest, and most of 
these words have been replaced now by terms from the French. But their temporary 
existence in the language is an evidence of the extent to which Scandinavian customs 
entered into the life of the districts in which the Danes were numerous.