Our studies bring together different strands in lexical research - etymology, semantics, stylistics and sociolinguistics - in order to re-assess, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the make-up of the vocabulary of the late-twelfth-century Ormulum, with specific focus on Orrm's French- and Norse-derived lexis. Additionally, we place his loanwords in their dialectal context through comparisons with near-contemporary texts. Such comparisons are fundamental in order to understand to what extent Orrm’s lexical choices are as innovative as other aspects of his language, particularly his spelling practices.