I downloading some photos of one of my latest walks, I came across a note file I'd made last October whilst reading a book on a flight. The book was the one below, and is basically a compendium of Anglo-Saxon words. As I read I made a note of some words that struck me as resonant or pleasing in some way.
Some of them I was able to make connections with either modern English words with slightly different meanings (or the old word gave a refreshed interpretation of the modern word) or with some foreign (usually Nordic) words. Some of them may not be news to you, but they were to me.
Wynn = joy (win-win?)
Frith = peace (like Swedish frid)
Therefore Winifred = joy of peace. And Frederick/Friedrich = rich in peace. And maybe also Freddie Frith = Peace Peace!*
Yrtglingc = Earthling. A ploughman or farmer (was everyone else an alien?)
Wed = pledge (where we get our alternative word for 'married' from?)
Gift (pronounced yift) = gift (also Scandinavian for marry and also poison!).
Wudu-bucca = wild goat
Gāt-bucca = domesticated goat
Bucca like bok (sp?) in Swedish/pukki in Finnish
OR pūcel = goblin (various spellings, often like puck)
Hwæl-weg = ocean/sea (literally 'whale way')!**
* for non-motor cycling enthusiasts Freddie was a motorcycling champion in the mid-20th. Before my time, but I knew of him because he had a motorbike shop in his native Grimsby.
** Not sure if that last one was a pun made up by the author or not!
Postscript. The Helion book on the Army of George II by Peter Brown is turning out to be very good. Well researched and referenced, it dispels some of the myths about the Georgian British Army. To cap it all it is well written and easy to read. I'm pretty new to the British Army in this period so it is proving to be an excellent acquisition. Be interested in hearing what anyone else thinks of it.
What an interesting book! I imagine Pucel is the word Tolkien used for his Pukel-men in Dunharrow?
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting book. I don't recall the Pukel-men, but it's highly likely Tolkien got the word from OE isn't it.
DeleteGuess who did 3 years of intensive old englisc speaking and writing as part of my re enactment and living history in schools schtick? Check out prof Pollington’s books for some interesting reading along the same lines.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I think I'd like to learn more, so I'll have to have a look at some of Pollington's books. I see he did an introduction to OE. A night school class would be fun too, if they still do them.
DeleteI did 1 term of OE at school, and think the "whale-road" is mentioned in the poem "The Wanderer", but that was a very long time ago and maybe just mis-remembered. My daughter used to joke that I was good at Latin because I could remember when the Romans were here :-)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great to me now, but I bet I would have hated it when I was at school! All the words in the book are ‘sourced’ so I should be able to check and report back.
DeleteChris
My mistake - it was Beowulf (the other long poem we did). And you're right, it was a pain at the time and only a privilege to look back on afterward. Dave
DeleteInteresting stuff Chris, thanks for sharing. One only has to look at the number of words in a current dictionary that have their roots in OE to realise how steeped in history languages are!
ReplyDeleteAll the good short words are OE Keith. Or Norse.
DeleteFascinating book, thanks for mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
You’re welcome. Thought you might like it.
DeleteChris
Sounds like a good book for sure:). I keep my copy of Brwer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable by me bedside, for some light nightime reading when time permits. Always good to see where words and phrases come from etc.
ReplyDeleteOh! I’ve not seen that. Must look it up. Love finding word and phrase derivations.
DeleteChris
Cool. One to dip in to.
ReplyDeleteIt is an ideal 'dipping into' book.
DeleteGreat sounding book, it's always interesting to know the roots if words as they're generally so diverse in English and there is usually two versions of each word( at least) an English/ nordic and upper class French chuck in a bit of Latin and Greek and is it any surprise we have the most irregular of languages!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Oh aye! English spelling must be a nightmare for people learning the language.
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