French is the largest source of borrowed vocabulary in the English language, a result that traces back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. After the conquest, French became the language of government, the courts, and the upper classes in England. Because of this long period of influence, thousands of French terms—such as "justice," "attorney," "beef," and "government"—entered English and became permanent fixtures. Linguists estimate that about 30% of English words come from French, making it the largest contributor to the English vocabulary.
