[SuziQ]

the "high-brow" version tends to be derived from Latin and the "low-brow" from the original Anglo-Saxon/German.

Probably not just Latin, but the Norman French, which was the language of the Court. There were some Kings and Queens of England who never spoke 'English', because it was, as you said, deemed to be the 'common' speech.

[Lil'freeper]

Probably not just Latin, but the Norman French, which was the language of the Court.

Don't ferget the language of the Church...

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

were some Kings and Queens of England who never spoke 'English', because it was, as you said, deemed to be the 'common' speech.

I do not think that any king from William the Conqueror to Henry IV spoke English. I seem to remember that Henry V was the first to do so.