Ramblings through language

Silly story about time travel and Old English and possibly other things shared from https://ramblingsthroughlanguage.wordpress.com/ also available at @ramblingrosie2 on Substack. Individual posts will link to the Wordpress posts because I trust that site more for keeping things organised.

[rambling-rosie]

Gendered Usage of disheveled Part 1: Middle and Early Modern English

A fascinating book that I recently read is Charles Earle Funk’s (1950) Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins. Though written by an experienced lexicographer, it is not a dictionary so much as a selection of choice etymological stories suitable for more leisurely perusal. You cannot count on a specific word being included, like in a more traditional reference book, but you can find many captivating gems within this etymological treasure trove. Some favourites of mine includethe Old English origins of a lord as a hlaford or ‘bread-keeper’, and the metaphorical extension of sarcasm from its Greek source describing a physical act of tearing flesh. The framing of etymologies as ‘stories’ resonates deeply. The fact of a word’s origin never simply stands alone; it is inevitably intertwined with various social and cultural influences, following the twists and turns of specific circumstances, as well as general human nature.

Gendered Usage of disheveled Part 1: Middle and Early Modern English

A fascinating book that I recently read is Charles Earle Funk’s (1950) Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins. Though written

[rambling-rosie]

Ramblings through Old English: The Chronicles of Agatha Blunderson

Entry 2: hliehhan

From the diary of Agatha Blunderson, currently being consumed by hubris

You see?! It makes no sense! I opened up the science panel, carefully tended to all the connecting tubes, dug through all the data, and there is nothing to explain how or why the Chrono Cupboard should be sentient or capable of such communication! Do you, imagined reader embodied by my diary, understand what this means? I’m a genius! I’m such a genuine genius that I created sentient life without planning, realising or understanding it! And it gives me tips on Old English! Which means really I must have known those things already somewhere deep down! I must build on this momentum and venture into the mead hall to do some data collecting!

About an hour later

Well, that was certainly a curious cultural experience! They are very loud in there! In lieu of butting in to their boisterous banter, I stealthily stood to the side and observed. It was difficult to determine much in the din, but I focused on two fellows at the table closest to my corner. They were having such a wonderful time talking and laughing! Perhaps social relations were healthier in this time; I don’t believe I’ve ever been as happy as they looked at a pub! Very strange, simple sense of humour though! I saw one of them scratch his nose and exclaim what sounded like “Itch!” while laughing! Charming in an odd way, finding such basic bodily sensations amusing. I suppose drunkenness may have contributed. Oh, wait, here’s something-

Ramblings through Old English: The Chronicles of Agatha Blunderson Entry 2: hliehhan

From the diary of Agatha Blunderson, currently being consumed by hubris You see?! It makes no sense! I opened up the science panel, carefull

[rambling-rosie]

Ramblings through Old English: The Chronicles of Agatha Blunderson

Entry 1: wilcuman

From the diary of Agatha Blunderson, a very strange person with no professional qualifications

Do you have regrets? Mounting mortifying mistakes? Dreadful decisions buried deep in your past? Excruciating errors that need to be erased? Admit it, we all do! We all lie awake at night shaking with shame! Well, what if you could actually go back and change things? What if you could take back that love confession, that fight, that career decision? Stop yourself from dropping out and going on with increasingly unclear plans for the future? Somehow work out a foolproof plan to influence numerous sociocultural pressures and stop the job market from becoming an irredeemable mess? Now you can! Meet the Chrono Cupboard! Just get into this dark, confined space and turn the dials to show the date of your intended destination, and off you go! Comes with shelves, so you can bring your lunch and a book that will help you speak your chosen ancient language, should you wish to go even further back! Think you’re running out of time? Think again with the Chrono Cupboard!

Perfect! That will be the advert! Not only have I made this marvellous machine, I can also manage the marketing by myself! They said I was crazy! They said I was stupid! They said I would rather hide in a cupboard than get a degree or a job! Well, I’ll show them all! The Chrono Cupboard is finally complete! Time to prove that it works by going back to Anglo-Saxon times and collecting some Old English data to contribute to the tantalisingly scant amount of evidence that survives today! A perfect way to combine my twin passions, physics and linguistics! And they really knew how to appreciate some amazing alliteration back then! See you on the other side…

Ramblings through Old English: The Chronicles of Agatha Blunderson Entry 1: wilcuman

From the diary of Agatha Blunderson, a very strange person with no professional qualifications Do you have regrets? Mounting mortifying mist

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