Scandinavian influences in the Alliterative Morte Arthure

The number of Scandinavian loanwords for which the evidence of being part of the English language is fully convincing is about 900 and these are almost always words designating common everyday things and fundamental concepts. It also exists an equal number of words which are probably of Scandinavian origin or in which the influence of Scandinavian forms has entered. Today there are thousands of Scandinavian loan words in the English Language. Most of the Scandinavian loan words first appeared in the written language in Middle English (1100 - 1500), but many were no doubt borrowed earlier, during the period of the Danelaw from the ninth till the tenth century.


The aim of the paper is to give evidence whether the "Alliterative Morte Arthure" was told under strong or weak Scandinavian influences in England, perhaps in the areas of the Danelaw or elsewhere. It is therefore necessary to give a brief history of the settlement of Scandinavian tribes in England and their influence on the language as well as a general overview of possible loans and how to test them. Afterwards the existence and meaning of Scandinavian loan words in the Alliterative Morte Arthure will be analyzed and discussed.