6.1 Core Old English vocabulary and word families

Old English vocabulary forms the foundation of the language's communication system. Common words for people, objects, and actions paint a vivid picture of daily life in Anglo-Saxon England. Understanding these basics is crucial for grasping more complex linguistic structures.

Word families in Old English showcase the language's interconnected nature. Verbs, nouns, and adjectives often share roots, revealing how concepts are linked. This system helps learners recognize patterns and deduce meanings, making translation and comprehension easier.

Core Old English Vocabulary and Word Families

Most common Old English words

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• Common nouns represent frequently used concepts in Old English
  • mann refers to an adult male human being
  • wif denotes an adult female human being or a married woman
  • cild indicates a young human being, either male or female
  • hus signifies a building used for human habitation or shelter
  • dæg represents the period of light between sunrise and sunset
  • gear refers to the period of 365 days, based on Earth's orbit around the sun
• Verbs express actions, occurrences, or states of being in Old English
  • beon is the infinitive form of "to be," indicating existence or a state
  • habban means "to have," denoting possession or ownership
  • cuman signifies the action of moving towards or arriving at a place
  • gan expresses the action of moving or traveling from one place to another
  • don represents the performance of an action or task
  • secgan means "to say," indicating the act of speaking or expressing something
• Adjectives modify or describe nouns in Old English
  • god describes something as positive, desirable, or virtuous
  • yfel refers to something negative, undesirable, or morally wrong
  • eald denotes something that has existed for a long time or is advanced in age
  • geong describes something that has existed for a short time or is youthful
  • micel indicates something of great size, extent, or importance
  • lytel refers to something small in size, extent, or importance
• Prepositions show relationships between words in Old English
  • on indicates a position of contact or support, or a state or condition
  • to expresses motion or direction towards a person, place, or thing
  • of denotes a point of origin, separation, or derivation
  • mid signifies accompaniment, means, or manner
  • æt indicates a specific location or point in time
• Conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses in Old English
  • and connects words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance
  • ac introduces a contrast or exception to a previous statement
  • oððe presents an alternative or choice between two options
  • gif introduces a condition or supposition
  • forðæm introduces a reason or cause for something

Word families in Old English

• Verbs and related nouns share a common root, with nouns often derived from verbs
  • drincan means "to drink," while drinc refers to the act of drinking or a beverage, and drinca denotes a person who drinks
  • writan signifies the action of writing, writ refers to the act of writing or a written work, and writere indicates a person who writes
  • ridan expresses the action of sitting astride and controlling an animal, rad denotes the act of riding, and ridda represents a person who rides
• Adjectives and related nouns share a common root, with nouns often derived from adjectives
  • halig means "holy" or "sacred," while haligdom refers to the state of being holy or a holy place
  • strang describes something as physically powerful or robust, and strengð denotes the quality or state of being strong
  • wis indicates possession of knowledge, experience, or good judgment, and wisdom refers to the quality of being wise or the ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting
• Nouns and related adjectives share a common root, with adjectives often derived from nouns
  • freond refers to a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, and freondlic describes characteristics or actions associated with friendship
  • feond denotes a person who feels hatred or hostility towards another, and feondlic describes characteristics or actions associated with enmity
  • cyning refers to a male sovereign ruler of a kingdom, and cyninglic describes characteristics, actions, or things associated with or befitting a king

Translating with Old English vocabulary

• Identifying parts of speech in context helps to understand sentence structure and meaning
  • In "Ic eom god cyning," "ic" is a pronoun, "eom" is a verb, "god" is an adjective, and "cyning" is a noun
  • In "Heo hæfð micel hus," "heo" is a pronoun, "hæfð" is a verb, "micel" is an adjective, and "hus" is a noun
• Translating simple sentences using core vocabulary allows for basic communication in Old English
  • "Se mann gæð to ðæm huse" translates to "The man goes to the house," using common nouns, verbs, and prepositions
  • "Ðæt cild is geong and lytel" translates to "The child is young and small," using common nouns, verbs, and adjectives
• Recognizing common phrases and idioms facilitates social interaction and cultural understanding in Old English
  • "Hu eart ðu?" is a common greeting, equivalent to "How are you?" in modern English
  • "Wes ðu hal!" is a friendly salutation, literally translating to "Be you healthy!" and used in a similar manner to "Hello!"
  • "Ic ðe ðancige" is an expression of gratitude, equivalent to "I thank you" in modern English