Late West Saxon

Late West Saxon or West Saxon was one of four distinct dialects of Old English. The three others were Kentish, Mercian and Northumbrian.

There were two stages of the West-Saxon dialect: Early West Saxon (c. 9th century) and Late West Saxon (c. 10th century). After 900, West-Saxon became widely used as a standard written language, and is sometimes referred to as Classic West-Saxon.

Late West Saxon was the basis of the first standardised written English (Winchester standard). This dialect was spoken mostly in the south and west of the country around the monastery at Winchester. Well-known poems written in this language include Beowulf and Judith.

The Winchester standard died with the Norman Conquest. Monasteries did not keep the standard going because English bishops were soon replaced by Norman bishops who brought their own Latin textbooks and conventions. Latin soon became the "language for all serious writing" and any standard written English became a distant memory by the mid-12th century.