Engelskfransk

Engelskfransk is a Swedish term used to describe phenomena involving both English and French languages or cultures. It functions as a descriptive label for historical relations, linguistic contact, and cross-cultural exchange between the English- and French-speaking worlds.

Historically, engelskfransk often refers to the period after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when Norman French became the language of the English court and administration. This bilingual milieu led to extensive borrowing from French into English and to lasting influences on law, government, and everyday vocabulary. The term encapsulates the intertwined development of English and French linguistic and cultural traditions during the medieval and early modern periods.

In linguistics, engelskfransk denotes the study of English–French contact, including loanwords, calques, syntactic influence, and bilingual usage. Common domains of lexical influence include law (court, jury, evidence), administration (government, policy), cuisine (sauce, restaurant), and culture (literature, fashion). The concept helps describe how two languages influence each other within shared social spaces.

In contemporary usage, engelskfransk can describe ongoing exchanges between English- and French-speaking communities, such as translation studies, education, media, and diplomacy, as well as comparative studies of language policy and bilingualism. It also appears in discussions of cultural collaboration and comparative literature.

See also: Anglo-Norman, Norman French, Franglais, Entente cordiale.