Salic law

The Salic law (Lat. lex Salica) was a body of traditional law to govern the Salian Franks (the tribe which had separated from original Franks, went to Dutch coast area, and migrated expanded throughout Belgium and to Northern France, then formed a Kingdom in Northern France and coasts north of it - which was the proto of the future Kingdom of France) that was codified in the early 5th century, during the reign of Clovis I. It was the basis for the laws of Charlemagne, but by the 12th century, both the Frankish kings and their laws had evolved to something new.

Old Dutch

The Salic Law contains one of the first examples of Old Dutch. Mainly loose words (Malbergse glossen) but even a full sentence appears what is to be Old Dutch:

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"Maltho thi afrio lito" (I tell you: I free you, half free.)

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This phrase was used to free a serf.

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More important is maybe the abundance of Old Low Franconian words present in the texts.

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Compare

• agnatic descent