Everyday Old English

A little side blog to help me focus on learning Old English (and to perhaps encourage others to start learning too) Main: probablepolyglot

[tranxio]

Oxa eam ic; ga in glom ic; bi briht scinan monas macie ic; in bedde beornas stridan mid slæp; ic abide, to hlafas liccian.

[salparadisewasright-deactivated]

[terpsikeraunos]

old english word of the day: bēomōdor, queen-bee (literally, bee-mother)

[rewordfully]

Old Germanic languages rated

Old English: #æsþetic, good and regular. mistaken for his much younger brother a lot. Terrible strong verbs. 9/10

Old Saxon: dwarfish vibes. Mysterious. Pretty syntax. 8.7/10

Gothic: Greek wearing a Proto-Germanic hat. Died before it was cool. Spelling from hell. 7/10

Old Gutnish: Old Norse’s soft lil brother. 8/10

Old Swedish: soft and squishy soft and squi- sHARP AND POINTY 5/10

Old Frisian: Old English’s doppelganger. 9/10

Old Dutch: Old Saxon’s evil twin. I don’t trust it. 4/10

Norn: ????????????? ?/10

Vandalic: the cool cousin who travels a lot and never visits. 3/10

Old Norse: the most metal one. fancy grammar. interesting take on numerals. 9.1/10

[everydayoldenglish]

Hǣlþ (Health)

sēo ādl, coþu - sickness, disease

se ece - ache, pain

sēo benn, se dolg - wound, cut, scar

se bānbrice - broken bone

þæt lybb - drug, medicine

þæt ātor - poison, venom

þæt blōd - blood

se sting - sting

rēadlesc - rash

se bȳl - boil, sore

se tōþece - toothache

se āgenslaga - suicide

sēo oferwist - overeating

oferfǣtt - obese, too fat

dēaf - deaf

blind - blind

sīcle - in bad health, sickly

[everydayoldenglish]

Gūþcræft (Warfare)

sēo beadu, hild, sacu - battle, war

se here, sēo duguþ - army

se cempa, freca, guma - warrior

se fēþecempa - infantryman

se fēond, se andsaca - enemy, opponent

se cnīf, þæt seax - knife

sēo ārwe, earh - arrow

se boga - bow

se helm - helmet

þæt sweord, þæt seax - sword

sēo clacu, benn, daru - injury, wound

se segn - banner, standard

sēo burg - fortress

se blæd - glory

sēo gebeorg - defence

behēafdian - to behead

byrgan - to bury

cnyssan - to strike

derian - to harm

dreccan - to afflict

gewinnan - to win

wīgan - to fight

werian - to defend, protect

[everydayoldenglish]

Cræft (Occupation)

bæcere - baker

bēocere - beekeeper

cōc - cook

glēomann - musician

prēost - priest

myltestre - prostitute

scēaphyrde - shepherd

wyrhta - worker

hēahbytlere - builder

cēapmann - merchant/trader

scīrgerēfa - sheriff

lǣce - doctor

fōstre - nurse

discðegn/discþignen - waiter/waitress

leornungcild - student

ādwǣscend - firefighter

wrītere - writer

bōcere - author

spilere/scericge - actor/actress

lārēow/lǣrestre - teacher

[tamamita]

Let’s bring back Old English

[everydayoldenglish]

Ymbūtan (Outside)

se tūn - village

sēo burg - city, town

sēo hæfen - harbour

se bēorsele - beerhall

þæt bōchord - library

sēo feohhus - bank

þæt lǣcehūs - hospital

sēo cirice - church

se ealh - temple

sēo scōl - school

þæt inn - inn

þæt gasthof - hotel

sēoceapstōw - marketplace

se scoppa - shop

sēo flǣsccȳping - butcher

bæchūs - bakery

þæt cot - cottage

þæt scandhūs - brothel

[everydayoldenglish]

Ǣfæstnes (Religion)

sēo bēn - prayer

se biscop - bishop

se boda - apostle, angel

þæt bæþ - baptismal font

sēo cirice - church

se clerc - clergyman

se Crist - Christ

sēo cristesmæsse - Christmas

þæt dēofol - devil

se drihten - God, Lord

þæt ēastre - Easter

se frōforgāst - Holy Ghost

þæt fulwiht - baptism

sēo gāstgifu - divine grace

þæt gōdspel - gospel

se hālga - saint

se haligdom - holiness, sanctity

þæt hūsel - Eucharist, sacrifice

se neorxnawang - paradise

þæt wēofod - altar

se ealh/þæt templ - temple

se wicca - wizard, druid

wuldorlīc - orthodox

se cōfgod - household god 

[everydayoldenglish]

Bodig (Body)

þæt bān  - bone

þæt bæc - back

se hafola, þæt hēafod - head

þæt brægen - brain

se hnecca/heals - neck

se ceafl, sēo ceace - cheek

se cinn - chin

þæt ēage - eye

þæt ēare - ear

sēo brū - eyebrow

se cnucel - knuckle, joint

se nægel - nail

sēo eaxl - shoulder

þæt hrycgbān - spine

se arm, earm - arm

se elnboga - elbow

sēo brēost - breast

se ears, þæt earsþerl - buttocks, anus

þæt cnēo - knee

se scanca - leg

se fōt, fēt - foot, feet

se maga, bucc, bælg - stomach

sēo ǣdre - vein, artery, kidney

[everydayoldenglish]

Let It Go - Old English ❄️

[everydayoldenglish]

Adjectives

Comparative and Superlative

The comparative is made by adding -r- between the inflectional ending and the root syllable. (These are always declined as weak!)

The superlative is usually made by adding -ost.

milde (kind) - mildra - mildost

sweotol (clear) - sweotolra - sweotolost

ƿīs (wise) - ƿīsra - ƿīsost

The ‘a’ is the singular masculine weak declension. 

There are, of course, irregularities. Some of the adjectives have an ‘i’ mutation, which creates a different superlative, -est. 

eald (old) - ieldra - ieldest

hēah (high) - hīerra - hīehst

Some are just completely irregular: 

gōd (good) - betera - betst 

yfel (evil) - ƿirsa - ƿirst

lytel (little) - læssa - læst

miċel (great/much) - māra - mǣst

[rewordfully]

kallophilia

Why should I learn convince me

[everydayoldenglish]

[terpsikeraunos]

Oft him anhaga are gebideð, metudes miltse, þeah þe he modcearig geond lagulade longe sceolde hreran mid hondum hrimcealde sæ wadan wræclastas. - Often a solitary man finds mercy for himself, the Lord’s compassion, though he, heart-sorrowing, through the flood-path long must stir by hand the frost-cold sea, wade the ways of exile.

The Wanderer, 1a-5a (via terpsikeraunos)

[everydayoldenglish]

Facebook

There are a few groups and pages on Facebook dedicated to Old English that I’ve been a part of/have liked for a while, so I’m going to put links for them on here if anyone is interested:

https://www.facebook.com/EaldEnglisc/ - This page has a lot of useful things, including memes!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/utengbrucan/ - This one is a group made for those who learn Old English, there are plenty of people to talk to as well as resources.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/beowulfinoneyear/ - This group belongs to the one above and is for translating Beowulf. It aims to get the entire poem translated in a year (its been six months so far), through all members working together. 

https://www.facebook.com/Old-English-Archive-707807385957528/ - I’ve only found this one recently, but it seems helpful. 

https://www.facebook.com/Englisc-memes-799636380086700/ - A meme page, doesn’t update often. 

https://www.facebook.com/oewordhord/ - A page that gives you an Old English word everyday. 

[terpsikeraunos]

Forþon nu min hyge hweorfeð ofer hreþerlocan, min modsefa mid mereflode,  ofer hwæles eþel hweorfeð wide, eorþan sceatas – cymeð eft to me gifre ond grædig; gielleð anfloga, hweteð on hwælweg hreþer unwearnum  ofer holma gelagu. - So now my mind moves above its heartfold, my spirit with the seaflood, wide over whale’s realm it moves, to earth’s corners – returns to me anew gluttonous and greedy; the loneflier cries, irresistibly whets the heart to the whaleway over the swells of the sea.

The Seafarer, 58a-64a (via terpsikeraunos)