🏰Intro to Old English Unit 6 – Old English Vocabulary Basics

Key Concepts and Terms

• Old English the earliest recorded form of the English language spoken in England from the 5th to 11th centuries
• Anglo-Saxons Germanic peoples who settled in Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries and spoke Old English
• Runes ancient Germanic alphabet used for writing Old English before the adoption of the Latin alphabet
• Inflection modification of a word to express different grammatical categories (case, number, gender, tense)
• Strong verbs verbs that form their past tense by changing the vowel of the stem (sing, sang, sung)
  • Ablaut gradation of vowels in the stem of strong verbs to indicate tense and number
• Weak verbs verbs that form their past tense by adding a dental suffix (love, loved, loved)
• Grammatical gender classification of nouns as masculine, feminine, or neuter based on morphological and syntactic properties
• Declension the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives to indicate case, number, and gender

Historical Context

• Old English developed from the dialects of the Anglo-Saxons who settled in Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries
• Old English period spans from the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain to the Norman Conquest in 1066
• Old English heavily influenced by Latin due to the Christianization of England in the 7th century
• Viking invasions and settlements during the 8th and 9th centuries introduced Old Norse influences to the language
• Old English literature includes epic poetry (Beowulf), religious works (Bede's Ecclesiastical History), and legal documents (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle)
• Norman Conquest in 1066 marked the end of the Old English period and the beginning of the Middle English period
  • French became the language of the ruling class, influencing the development of English

Old English Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Old English initially written using the Futhorc runic alphabet, later replaced by the Latin alphabet with additional letters (ash, eth, thorn, wynn)
• Ash (æ) represents a vowel sound similar to the "a" in "cat"
• Eth (ð) and thorn (þ) both represent the "th" sound in "thin" or "then"
• Wynn (ƿ) represents the "w" sound, later replaced by the Latin letter "w"
• Old English pronunciation differs from Modern English, with more pronounced inflectional endings and different vowel and consonant sounds
  • Long vowels indicated by macrons (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) and short vowels by breves (ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ)
• Stress in Old English falls on the first syllable of a word, with some exceptions for prefixes and compound words

Common Word Roots and Prefixes

• Old English words often composed of roots, prefixes, and suffixes that modify the meaning of the base word
• Common prefixes include:
  • ā- (away, out)
  • be- (around, thoroughly)
  • for- (completely, excessively)
  • ge- (collectively, perfectively)
  • un- (not, opposite of)
• Common roots include:
  • -cynn (kind, sort)
  • -dōm (state, condition)
  • -hād (state, condition, quality)
  • -scipe (state, condition, quality)
• Understanding word roots and prefixes helps in deciphering the meaning of unfamiliar Old English words
• Many Modern English words can be traced back to Old English roots and prefixes (kindness, freedom, friendship)

Basic Grammar Structures

• Old English is a synthetic language, relying heavily on inflections to convey grammatical information
• Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives inflected for case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative), number (singular, plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)
• Verbs conjugated for person, number, tense (present, past), and mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative)
  • Two main classes of verbs: strong verbs and weak verbs
• Word order in Old English is more flexible than in Modern English due to the inflectional system
  • Basic word order is subject-verb-object (SVO), but variations are common for emphasis or poetic effect
• Prepositions in Old English often correspond to case endings, indicating the grammatical function of the noun or pronoun
• Old English syntax allows for the separation of adjectives and nouns, with the adjective often preceding the noun it modifies

Everyday Vocabulary

• Old English vocabulary reflects the daily life and culture of the Anglo-Saxons
• Common words related to family and kinship (fæder, mōdor, brōþor, sweostor)
• Words for animals, both domestic and wild (hund, catt, hors, wulf, bera)
• Terms for food, drink, and farming (brēad, meolc, ealu, æcer, plōg)
• Vocabulary related to warfare and weapons (sweord, spere, scield, helm, byrne)
• Words for clothing and accessories (cyrtel, brēc, scōh, hæt, belt)
• Religious and philosophical terms influenced by Latin and Christianity (god, engel, heofon, hel, sāwol)
• Many Old English words have cognates in other Germanic languages (German, Dutch, Swedish)
  • Recognizing cognates can aid in understanding and remembering Old English vocabulary

Reading and Translation Practice

• Reading and translating Old English texts is essential for developing proficiency in the language
• Start with simple, short texts such as riddles, proverbs, or excerpts from longer works
• Use glossaries and dictionaries to look up unfamiliar words and their meanings
  • The Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary is a comprehensive resource for Old English vocabulary
• Pay attention to inflectional endings and grammatical structures when translating
• Compare modern translations of Old English texts to gain insight into the translation process and interpretive choices
• Practice translating from Old English to Modern English and vice versa to reinforce vocabulary and grammar
• Engage with longer texts, such as sections from Beowulf or the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, as proficiency improves

Cultural Insights Through Language

• Language is a reflection of the culture and society in which it is used
• Old English vocabulary and grammar provide insights into Anglo-Saxon culture, values, and worldview
• Kennings, metaphorical compound words, are a distinctive feature of Old English poetry (hronrād "whale-road" for sea, bānhūs "bone-house" for body)
  • Kennings reveal Anglo-Saxon perspectives on nature, warfare, and social relationships
• Old English riddles and proverbs offer glimpses into Anglo-Saxon wit, wisdom, and daily life
• The prevalence of words related to warfare and heroism reflects the importance of these concepts in Anglo-Saxon society
• Christian vocabulary and themes in Old English literature demonstrate the influence of Christianity on Anglo-Saxon culture
  • Words like "god," "engel," and "sāwol" (soul) show the integration of Christian concepts into the language
• Studying Old English language and literature enhances our understanding of the foundations of English culture and the development of the English language