HISTORY INFO

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Old English

basic context

Old English, often known as Anglo-Saxon, is the progenitor of Middle English and Modern English. It was spoken and written in England prior to 1100. Old English is classified by linguists as a member of the Anglo-Fresian family of West Germanic languages. Old English has four recognized dialects: Northumbrian, spoken in northern England and southeastern Scotland; Mercian, spoken in central England; Kentish, spoken in southeast England; and West Saxon, spoken in southern and southwestern England.

Anglo-Saxon and the runic alphabet

An early form of the Runic alphabet known as Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Frisian runes, or futhorc/fuorc, was used to write Old English and Anglo-Saxon. With between 26 and 33 characters, this alphabet was an expansion of Elder Futhark. Between the fifth century AD to about the tenth century, Anglo-Saxon runes were most likely ,historians believe, in use. After the 9th century, the runes were mostly utilized in manuscripts and were mostly of interest to antiquarians before they began to be superseded by the Latin alphabet. Soon after the Norman conquest, their use came to an end.

Beowolf

Old English, the language used in Anglo-Saxon England before to the Norman Conquest, longest epic poem is Beowulf. It describes an epic battle between the brave warrior Beowulf and the ferocious monster Grendel. This type of poetry was frequently read from memory while being accompanied by a harp by a court minstrel, or scop. The first word in the poem Hwaet is similar to the word "what" we use today, which can be translated as "Lo!," "Behold!" or "Hark!" Here, the storyteller employs it to grab the audience's interest. Beowulf contains kennings in about one-third of its words. Kennings combines two words to produce a creative and evocative alternative word, such as beadoleoma (battle-light), which means sword, or banhus (bone-house), which means "human body."