How did invasions affect the English language?

Answer 1

The history is long and complex, but in a very real sense invasions created the English language. Many consider English to be a creolized langauge, meaning that it is a blending of different languages. Many of the blendings occurred as a result of many different invasions/migrations in and around the British Isles over the centuries. Go to any history of the English language, or essays at the beginning of any good dictionary of the English language. Also, see links below. As one example of the evolution of English that may be startling to some, The earlier forms of what would become English was at one time considered vulgar and base peasant language by those in the English court. Ordinary English speakers today would not recognize or understand any of it. What was spoken at court? French. And they didn't speak French because they learned it to be stylish at court; they were French speakers. For many reasons, including the fact that English has lost virtually all of its inflected forms, English is very good at borrowing from other languages, perhaps to a greater degree than most other languages.

Answer 2

Invasions by various groups such as the Romans, Vikings, and Normans introduced new words and linguistic influences to the English language. This led to a rich vocabulary with words borrowed from Latin, Old Norse, and French, among others. Overall, invasions played a significant role in shaping the evolution of English into the language we know today.