Re: Scandinavia and the Germanic tribes such as Goths, Vandals, Angl

--- On Tue, 11/4/08, Brian M. Scott <BMScott@...> wrote:

> From: Brian M. Scott <BMScott@...>
> Subject: Re: [tied] Re: Scandinavia and the Germanic tribes such as Goths, Vandals, Angli and Saxones.
> To: "Andrew Jarrette" <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 6:24 PM
> At 1:14:37 PM on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, Andrew Jarrette
> wrote:
>
> [...]
>
> > And anyway this basically supports my point that
> English
> > has always had a strong foreign element in its
> identity
> > (OK, I didn't say it in so many words in my last
> posting
> > but this is what I meant).
>
> But it's not true: OE wasn't particularly receptive
> to
> foreign words, tending rather to use its own resources.
> The
> techniques include extending the meanings of existing
> words,
> creating new compounds (e.g., <leorning-cniht> for
> <discipulus>), and calquing.
>
> Brian

It obviously wasn't true in regard to Celtic.
But what percentage of AS was Norse?
Was it only a regional phenomenon?
As you point out, it wasn't until Norman French knocked the doors down that English opened up due to necessity.
Is conquest (military or economic) the principal reason languages are receptive to receiving loanwords?