Zauriel
The Angel of Justice
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Everyone, do you know that Old English (Anglo-Saxon) is the language of Beowulf? Old English seems almost more like a language than a dialect to me.
I've recently taken an interest in studying the morphology, phonology, lexicology and syntax of the Old English language. Being a West Germanic language, Old English has a lot in common with German and Dutch. That includes the cases of Nominative, Accusative, Genitive and Dative).
Apparently, Modern English is basically different from Old English, since it was influenced by the French language of the Normans who had invaded and conquered England.
The English refused to adopt their new masters' French language, so the masters and servants have blended both their laguages into a new one. Therefore 60% of the words in English language are of French origin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_morphology
Unlike modern English, Old English is a language rich with morphological diversity and is spelled essentially as it is pronounced. It maintains several distinct cases: the nominative, accusative, genitive, dative and (vestigially) instrumental, remnants of which survive only in a few pronouns in modern English.
Examples of Old English:
Personal pronouns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Eng...sonal_pronouns
First Person Singular case
Nominative: ic (I)
Accusative: mec (me)
Genitive: mīn (my)
Dative: mē (to me)
First Person Plural case
Nominative: wē (we)
Accusative: ūsic, ūs (us)
Genitive: ūre (our)
Dative ūs (to us)
First Person Dual case (two persons)
Nominative: wit (we two)
Accusative: uncit, unc (us two)
Genitive: uncer (our)
Dative unc (to us two)
Second Person Singular case
Nominative: þū (you)
Accusative: þēc, þē (you)
Genitive: þin (your)
Dative: þe (to you)
Second Person Plural case
Nominative: gē (you; plural)
Accusative: ēowic, ēow (you; plural)
Genitive: ēower (your; plural)
Dative ēow (to you; plural)
Second Person Dual Case
Nominative git (you two)
Accusative: incit, inc (you two)
Genitive: incer (your)
Dative: inc (to you two)
Third Person Singular Case
Nominative: hē (he; masculine), hēo (she; feminine), hit (it; neuter)
Accusative: hine (him; masculine), hīe (her; feminine), hit (it; neuter)
Genitive: his (his; masculine), hire (her; feminine), his (its; neuter)
Dative: him (to him; masculine), hire (to her; feminine), him (to it; neuter)
Third Person Plural case
Nominative: hiē (they; masculine), hēo (they; feminine),
Accusative: hiē (them; masculine), hīo (them; feminine),
Genitive: hiera (their; masculine), heora (their; feminine),
Dative: him (to them)
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, there is no dual case in the third person pronouns of Old English
Old English language (list of prepositions):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Eng...repositions)
Old English phonology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_phonology
These stanzas below is taken from the epic poem Beowulf.
Original Old English
[1] Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, Lo!
[2] þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon
[3] hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
[4] Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
[5] monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
[6] egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
[7] feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad
[8] weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
[9] oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
[10] ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
[11] gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning!
Modern English Translation
[1] We of Spear-Danes in days of yore,
[2] of the fame of the kings, have heard
[3] How those nobles did great deeds
[4] Often Scyld Scefing, from the army of his enemies,
[5] from many warriors, took the mead-benches
[6] terrified the nobles. After he was first
[7] discovered, a foundling, he gained a consolation
[8] waxed under the heavens, prospered in glory,
[9] until eventually everyone in surrounding tribes,
[10] over the whale-road, had to obey
[11] and yield to him. He was a good king!
The Lord's Prayer
This text is presented in the standardised West Saxon literary dialect:
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum,
Si þin nama gehalgod.
To becume þin rice,
gewurþe ðin willa, on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
and forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum.
and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfele. soþlice.
Another example of Old English text. Here is biography of George Bush on
http://ang.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush (Anglo Saxon Wikipedia.org)
I've recently taken an interest in studying the morphology, phonology, lexicology and syntax of the Old English language. Being a West Germanic language, Old English has a lot in common with German and Dutch. That includes the cases of Nominative, Accusative, Genitive and Dative).
Apparently, Modern English is basically different from Old English, since it was influenced by the French language of the Normans who had invaded and conquered England.
The English refused to adopt their new masters' French language, so the masters and servants have blended both their laguages into a new one. Therefore 60% of the words in English language are of French origin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_morphology
Unlike modern English, Old English is a language rich with morphological diversity and is spelled essentially as it is pronounced. It maintains several distinct cases: the nominative, accusative, genitive, dative and (vestigially) instrumental, remnants of which survive only in a few pronouns in modern English.
Examples of Old English:
Personal pronouns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Eng...sonal_pronouns
First Person Singular case
Nominative: ic (I)
Accusative: mec (me)
Genitive: mīn (my)
Dative: mē (to me)
First Person Plural case
Nominative: wē (we)
Accusative: ūsic, ūs (us)
Genitive: ūre (our)
Dative ūs (to us)
First Person Dual case (two persons)
Nominative: wit (we two)
Accusative: uncit, unc (us two)
Genitive: uncer (our)
Dative unc (to us two)
Second Person Singular case
Nominative: þū (you)
Accusative: þēc, þē (you)
Genitive: þin (your)
Dative: þe (to you)
Second Person Plural case
Nominative: gē (you; plural)
Accusative: ēowic, ēow (you; plural)
Genitive: ēower (your; plural)
Dative ēow (to you; plural)
Second Person Dual Case
Nominative git (you two)
Accusative: incit, inc (you two)
Genitive: incer (your)
Dative: inc (to you two)
Third Person Singular Case
Nominative: hē (he; masculine), hēo (she; feminine), hit (it; neuter)
Accusative: hine (him; masculine), hīe (her; feminine), hit (it; neuter)
Genitive: his (his; masculine), hire (her; feminine), his (its; neuter)
Dative: him (to him; masculine), hire (to her; feminine), him (to it; neuter)
Third Person Plural case
Nominative: hiē (they; masculine), hēo (they; feminine),
Accusative: hiē (them; masculine), hīo (them; feminine),
Genitive: hiera (their; masculine), heora (their; feminine),
Dative: him (to them)
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, there is no dual case in the third person pronouns of Old English
Old English language (list of prepositions):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Eng...repositions)
Old English phonology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_phonology
These stanzas below is taken from the epic poem Beowulf.
Original Old English
[1] Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, Lo!
[2] þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon
[3] hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
[4] Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
[5] monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
[6] egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
[7] feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad
[8] weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
[9] oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
[10] ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
[11] gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning!
Modern English Translation
[1] We of Spear-Danes in days of yore,
[2] of the fame of the kings, have heard
[3] How those nobles did great deeds
[4] Often Scyld Scefing, from the army of his enemies,
[5] from many warriors, took the mead-benches
[6] terrified the nobles. After he was first
[7] discovered, a foundling, he gained a consolation
[8] waxed under the heavens, prospered in glory,
[9] until eventually everyone in surrounding tribes,
[10] over the whale-road, had to obey
[11] and yield to him. He was a good king!
The Lord's Prayer
This text is presented in the standardised West Saxon literary dialect:
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum,
Si þin nama gehalgod.
To becume þin rice,
gewurþe ðin willa, on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
and forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum.
and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfele. soþlice.
Another example of Old English text. Here is biography of George Bush on
http://ang.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush (Anglo Saxon Wikipedia.org)
George W. Bush said:Endebyrdnes: 43a Foresittend
Ambihttīd: Æfterra Gēola 20, 2001–andweardnesse
Fōregenga: Bill Clinton
Byrdtælmearc: Sæternesdæg, 6 Mǣdmōnaþ, 1946
Byrdstede: New Haven, Connecticut
Forme Hlāfdige: Laura Welch Bush
Ābisgung: Cēapmann
Þinglic Gefere: Republican
Underforesittend: Dick Cheney
George Walker Bush (geboren 6 Mǣdmōnaþ, 1946) is se 43a and andwearda Foresittend þāra Geānlǣhtra Rīca. His fēowergēar ambihttīma swā Foresittend ongann on 20 Æfterra Gēola, 2001. He sēcþ and geat gīet ōðerne tīman. (Sēo George W. Bush foresittendlic camp, 2004.)
Ǣr þǣm þe hē fēng tō foresittendnesse, wæs Bush cēapmann. Hē þēowode Gīemend Texases fram 1995 tō 2000. Hē is se sunu ǣres Foresittendes George Herbert Walker Bush and se brōðor Floridan Gīemendes Jeb Bushes. His ealdfæder, Prescott Bush, wæs Senates geglida.
Þis gewrit is stycce. Þu canst helpan þǣm Wicipǣdian mid ætīecunge his.
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