French borrowings in the English language

Since the Norman Conquest in 1066 the French language became more and more important. English nobility and other important positions in the church, military and other institutions were newly occupied by the French invaders. Now the upper class in England was replaced by Normans and French became their dominant language. However, the new ruling class formed only a minority of the population and the language existed side by side .The new kings of England spoke French, took French wives and lived mostly in France.