Law French

Prom the time of William the Norman down to that of Edward III., all public proceedings and documents in England, including the records of the courts, the arguments of counsel, and the decisions of the judges, were in the language of the Norman French. After Latin and English were substituted in the records and proceedings, howe Ver, the cases and decisions continued until the close of the seventeenth century to be reported in French; the first reports published in England being those of Style, in 1658. The statutes of the reign of Henry III., and some of the subsequent reigns, are partly or wholly in this language; but English was substituted in the reign of Henry

The Norman French language, introduced into England by William the Conqueror, and which, for several cenfuries, was, in an emphatic sense, the language of the English law, being that in which the proceedings of the' courts and of parliament were carried on, and in which many of the ancient statutes, reports, abridgments, and treatises were written and printed. It is calied by Blaekstone a "barbarous dialect," and the later specimens of it fully warrant the appellation, but at the time of its introduction it was, as has been observed, the bast form of the language spoken in Normandy. Burrill.

Defined under Law in Black's Law Dictionary.

The Norman French language, introduced into England by Will ium the Conqueror, and which, for several centuries, was, in an emphatic sense, the language of the English daw, being that in which the proceedings of the courts and of It is called by Blackstone a “barbarous.” and the later specimens of it fully tt the appellation, but at the time of oduction it was, as has been observed, best form of the language spoken in Nor- Burrill. wv hateth delays. Wing. Max. p.674, (176; Finch, Law, b. 1, ch. 3, no. 71. _ Law hateth now inventions and innoms. Wing. Max. p. 756, max. 204. Law hateth wrong. Wing. Max. p. 563, _ max, 146; Finch, Law, b. 1, ch. 3, no. 62.