Old & Middle English by Soprana Kapela

Old English

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:06:00 UTC

Before 'Middle English' or an intelligible language by our standards was created, the British Isles were formed with many languages from many different corners of Europe.

First, there came the Angles and the Saxons from modern day Germany (see Germany for more)
Then the Jutes from modern-day Denmark (see Denmark for more)
And finally, you have the 'Old English' language! (you are on the right page)

'Old English',(450-1066 A.D) as stated before would have been a foreign language to us, both in sound and in speech. Being more closely related to High German and other Germanic languages. Norse invaders also came in for a bit, and then popped in again like an annoying noisy neighbor, and gave the Anglo-Saxons new words to use for themselves! (see Norway for more)

One of the major words and examples of 'Old English' we have today comes from 'Beowulf' including the 'art of kennings'

they are metaphorical descriptions and compound words (two words combined) to create an imaginative alternative

Modern-day examples include:

Book worm, fender bender, four-eyes, etc

The Jutes

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:11:36 UTC

The Jutes were one of the Germanic tribes who settled in Great Britain after the departure of the Romans. They were primarily from the Jutland Peninsula, including parts of Denmark, Schleswig in Germany, and the Frisian coast. According to Bede, they were one of the three most powerful Germanic nations, along with the Angles and the Saxons

Thy sailed across the North Sea and settles in the south of England in about 450. They also conquered the Isle of Wight and the opposite coast of Hampshire in the early 6th century.
Large numbers of Jutes lived in the new Forest in Hampshire and until the 11century it was known as Ytene (of the Jutes)

Words like

faeder, mōdor, brōthor, sweostor, and dohtor
(“father,” “mother,” “brother,” “sister,” and “daughter,”
respectively)

Come from these nordic tribes.

The Anglo Saxons

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:15:25 UTC

The Anglo-Saxons were migrants from northern Europe who settled in England in the fifth and sixth centuries. Initially comprising many small groups and divided into a number of kingdoms, the Anglo-Saxons were finally joined into a single political realm – the kingdom of England – during the reign of King Æthelstan (924–939).

They remained the dominant political force until the last king of Anglo-Saxon England, Harold II, was killed by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

What Language did the Anglo-Saxons speak?

The Anglo-Saxons spoke the language we now know as Old English, an ancestor of modern-day English. Its closest cousins were other Germanic languages such as Old Friesian, Old Norse and Old High German.

Surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts from Anglo-Saxon England show that there were different dialects spoken in different parts of the country, such as West Saxon, Northumbrian and Mercian. The oldest English poem, Cædmon’s Hymn, was composed in the Northumbrian dialect of English.

Some Words we get from the Anglo Saxons include:

- Earth
- Water
- Stone
- Wood
- Man
- House
- Field

These are common words that describe the natural world and human life.

The Vikings

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:17:47 UTC

The Viking age was from about AD700 to 1100. Many Vikings left their homes in Scandinavia and travelled by longboat to other countries, like Britain and Ireland.

The people of Britain called the invaders 'Danes', but they came from Norway and Sweden as well as Denmark.

Vikings sailed the seas trading goods. They bought silver, silks, spices, wine, jewellery, glass and pottery to bring back home.

What kind of people were the Vikings?

The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse'. It means ‘a pirate raid’. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. But not all the Vikings were bloodthirsty warriors.
Some came to fight, but others came peacefully, to settle. They were farmers, and kept animals and grew crops. They were skilful at crafting, and made beautiful metalwork and wooden carvings.

What Language did they give us?

Parts of their Scandinavian language (which is closely related to Germanic languages too) including words describing family and animals, spread through northern England
Words derived from Norse Include: sky, egg, cake, skin, leg, window, husband, fellow, skill, anger flat, odd, ugly, get, give, take, raise, call, die, they, their, them

The Norman Conquest (1066 A.D)

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:22:13 UTC

The Normans invaded and William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Suddenly French people were in charge so French became the dominant language (of the court, the church, and the nobility) while the rest of the country spoke versions of English

Norman-French took over as the language of the Royal court administration and culture. Latin was mostly used for written language, especially that of the church. The English language as the language of the now lower class, was considered a vulgar tongue

Most of the words embedded in the English vocab are words of power such as crown, castle, court, parliament, etc

Because the English lower class formed and cooked for the Norman upper class, the words for the most domestic animals are Old English (ox, cow, calf, sheep, swine, deer) while the words for the meats derived from them are the French (mutton, veal, pork, bacon)

By about 1200, England and France had split. English changed a lot because it was mostly being spoken instead of written for about 300 years

Gradually, English became more widely used by the educated upper classes, and by 1425 English was used universally again in speech and writing. The use of Old English came back, but with many French words added

Latin Language

sopranakapela — 2023-06-16 10:29:21 UTC

The first Latin influence on English language is heralded by England’s contact with the Roman Civilization. The Latin words borrowed in this phase belong to agriculture, war and domestic life-

Subject | Latin

Trade and Commerce: Wine (from Lat. ‘Vinum’)Mint (from Lat. ‘mynet’)Mil (from Lat. ‘mile’)

Domestic: Kitchen, cup, dish, cook etc.

Food: Pepper, cheese, butter, plum, milk etc.

After the English settled in Britain, they received a few Latin words not directly from Latin but from native. Among these one is ‘ceaster’ < Lat. ‘castre’. It survives in many places name as ending- Lancaster, Gloucester, Winchester, Manchester, Worcester etc.

Then when Christianity arrived in the form of the Vatican so did Latin in all its religious texts and symbolism

Subject | Latin

Church: Angel, anthem, hymn, minister, monk, etc
Domestic Life: Silk, radish, pea, pine, poppy, pillow, etc
Plant: Beet, pine, aloes, pea, poppy, plum etc.
Education: School, master, grammar, verse etc.
Animal: Doe, lobster, phoenix, turtle etc.
Verb: Offer, spend, stop etc.