A History of the English Language - A Companion Site

Chapter 4: Old English: 450-1150

This chapter will focus on the characteristics of Old English, including the extant written sources, spelling, and the runic alphabet. In addition, we will consider (and listen to) the sounds of Old English, discuss its Old English, including the system of endings. Old English vocabulary is very interesting and creative, as we will see. Dialects will be discussed briefly, and the chapter will conclude with several well-known Old English texts to be read and analyzed.

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Useful Links

Manuscripts

The British Museum has a turn-the-pages version of the Lindisfarne Gospels; The Exeter Cathedral has a copy of the Exeter Book.

The University of Duisburg-Essen site has a very informative page on OE writings and wonderful images of manuscripts.

Audio & Pronunciation

The University of Virginia has a Beowulf audio , Norton a reading of Caedmon's Hymn, and seven other Old English poems (scroll to the bottom).

Rick Branscomb has a page on Old English phonemes.

Wikipedia informs about alliterative verse.

Old English Grammar

The University of Calgary provides a thorough 15-lesson Old English course for online learners.

The University of Virginia hosts the interestingly titled "Old English Aerobics", consisting of many useful grammar exercises for the student of Old English.It has a link to the `magic sheet', a one-page guide to inflections.

Something more on noun-declensions.

Lexicon

A Modern English to Old English lexicon resides at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Texts

Several Old English texts not already in the textbook are transcribed on the Web, including:

• The Laws of Alfred and Ine
• The Wanderer -- this site also provides a very handy vocabulary.
• Wulf and Eadwacer

Mark Davies' Polyglot Bible has versions of Luke in many different languages. You can compare Old to Middle to Modern English.