Indeed, a whole book has been written on this subject; see _A Critical Enquiry into the Scottish Language_, by Francisque-Michel, 4to, Edinburgh, 1882.

But the importance of the borrowings, chiefly in Scotland, from Parisian French, has been much exaggerated, as in the work just mentioned; and a far more important source has been ignored, viz.

Anglo-French, which I here propose to consider.
By Anglo-French is meant the highly important form of French which is largely peculiar to England, and is of the highest value to the philologist.

The earliest forms of it were Norman, but it was afterwards supplemented by words borrowed from other French dialects, such as those of Anjou and Poitou, as well as from the Central French of Paris.

It was thus developed in a way of its own, and must always be considered, in preference to Old Continental French, when English etymologies are in question.