to particular
words; but of these no notice is taken; the object being to indicate the
differences between the _ancient_ and _modern_ stages of a language in
respect to _grammatical structure_.

9. To bring about these changes a certain amount _of time_ is, of course,
necessary; a condition which suggests the difficult question as to the
_rate_ at which languages change. This is different for different
languages; but as the investigation belongs to _general_ philology rather
than to the particular history of the English language, it finds no place
here.

s. 98. The extent, however, to which external causes may accelerate or
retard philological changes, is _not_ foreign to our subject; the influence
of the Norman Conquest, upon the previous Anglo-Saxon foundation, being a
problem of some difficulty.

At the first glance it seems to have been considerable, especially in the
way of simplifying the grammar. Yet the accuracy of this view is by no
means unequivocal. The reasons against it are as follows:

a. In Friesland no such conquest took place. Yet the modern Frisian, as
compared with the ancient, is nearly as simple in its grammatical
structure, as the English is when compared with the Anglo-Saxon.

b. In Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, no such conquest took place. Yet the
modern Danish and Swedish, as compared with the Old Norse, are nearly as
simple in their grammatical structure, as the English is, when compared
with the Anglo-Saxon.

The question requires more investigation than it has met with.

An extract from Mr. Hallam's "History of Literature" closes the present
section, and introduces the next.

"Nothing can be more difficult, except by an arbitrary line, than to
determine the commencement of the English language; not so much, as in
those on the Continent, because we are in want of materials, but rather
from an opposite reason, the possibility of showing a very gradual
succession of verbal changes that ended in a change of denomination. We
should probably experience a similar difficulty, if we knew equally
well the current idiom of France or Italy in the seventh and eighth
centuries. For when we compare the earliest English of the thirteenth
century with the Anglo-Saxon of the twelfth, it seems hard to pronounce
why it should pass for a separate language, rather than a modification
or simplification of the former. We must conform, however, to usage,
and sa