Old English ‘may as well be a foreign language to English speakers today’, and words such as gafol-fisc (tax-fish) or æppel-tūn (orchard) seem culturally as well as linguistically alien. Rather than try to teach the language, this book takes selections of words – some familiar, some strange and some untranslatable – and through them, explores the everyday lives and culture of the people who spoke Old English between the sixth and thirteenth centuries.
An entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors.
'A wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure ... joyfully clever' - Edward Brooke-Hitching author of The Madman's Library
'Wonderful' - Tom Holland
'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan
'Splendid' - David Crystal
'A rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights' - Nicola Griffith, author of Hild
'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks
In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered these gems together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.
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https://www.psbooks.co.uk/wordhord518120The Wordhordhttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/1/518120_807da0453abb2faf18ef2e7677c16005.jpg6.996.99GBPOutOfStock/Gift Ideas/History/Non-Fiction/Highlights/Almost Gone/Almost Gone HistoryOld English ‘may as well be a foreign language to English speakers today’, and words such as <i>gafol-fisc</i> (tax-fish) or <i>æppel-tūn</i> (orchard) seem culturally as well as linguistically alien. Rather than try to teach the language, this book takes selections of words – some familiar, some strange and some untranslatable – and through them, explores the everyday lives and culture of the people who spoke Old English between the sixth and thirteenth centuries.Hardback00https://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/1/518120_media-0_3.jpghttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/1/518120_media-1_3.jpghttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/1/518120_media-2.jpgadd-to-cartrrp_info:£12.99productId:65257bic_code:CBX, HBLC, HBLC1, WZGCBX, HBLC, HBLC1, WZG£12.99Hana VideenGeneral205x138mmProfileNoHardbackEarly: c.500 to c.1500
