Englisċ
Old English
Indo-European · historical / hidden variety
Old English (Englisċ, "the English language") was the West Germanic language spoken in England from the Anglo-Saxon migration (5th century CE) until c. 1100, after which French and Norse influences from the Norman Conquest (1066) catalyzed its evolution into Middle English (enm). The principal Anglo-Saxon literary corpus includes Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Exeter Book, the Vercelli Book, and Bede's Ecclesiastical History (Latin original with Old English Wessex translation by Alfred the Great's circle 9th-10th c.). Old English shows classic Germanic features: strong/weak verb classes, four cases (nominative/accusative/genitive/dative), grammatical gender (masculine/feminine/neuter). Modern study primarily centered on the West Saxon literary standard (Wessex dialect; cf. Mitchell & Robinson 1992).
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Old English
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European
| Meaning | Old English | Old Frisian | Middle English | Old Saxon | Gothic | Old Norse | Early Modern English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wæter /wæter/ | wetir /wetir/ | water /watər/ | watar /ˈwatar/ | 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 /wɑtoː/ | vatn /vɑtn/ | water /ˈwætər/ |
| Fire | fȳr /fyːr/ | fiur /fjuːɾ/ | fyr /fyːr/ | fiur /fiur/ | 𐍆𐍉𐌽 /foːn/ | eldr /eldr/ | fyre /fəir/ |
| Sun | sunne /sunːe/ | sunne /sunːe/ | sonne /sɔnːə/ | sunna /ˈsunːa/ | 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌽𐍉 /sunːoː/ | sól /soːl/ | sunne /sʊn/ |
| Moon | mōna /moːnɑ/ | mōna /moːnɑ/ | mone /moːnə/ | māno /ˈmaːno/ | 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐌰 /meːnɑ/ | máni /mɑːni/ | moone /muːn/ |
| Star | steorra /ˈsteorːɑ/ | stera /ˈstɛra/ | sterre /ˈstɛrːə/ | sterro /ˈsterro/ | 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉 /stɛrnoː/ | stjarna /ˈstjarna/ | star /staːɹ/ |
| Night | niht /niçt/ | nacht /naxt/ | night /nixt/ | naht /naxt/ | 𐌽𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 /naxts/ | nótt /noːtː/ | night /naɪt/ |
| Rain | regn /rejn/ | rein /rɛin/ | reyn /rɛin/ | regan /reɣan/ | 𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌽 /riɡn/ | regn /rɛɣn/ | rain /reːn/ |
| Snow | snāw /snɑːw/ | snē /sneː/ | snow /snɔu/ | snēo /ˈsneːo/ | 𐍃𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 /snɛːws/ | snjór /snjoːr/ | snow /snoː/ |
| Wind | wind /wind/ | wind /wind/ | wind /wind/ | wind /wind/ | 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌳𐍃 /winds/ | vindr /vindr/ | wind /wɪnd/ |
| Earth | eorðe /eorðe/ | irthe /irθe/ | erthe /ɛrθə/ | ertha /erθa/ | 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰 /ɛrθa/ | jörð /jœrð/ | earth /ɛːrθ/ |
| Stone | stān /stɑːn/ | stēn /steːn/ | ston /stɔːn/ | stēn /steːn/ | 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 /stɛːns/ | steinn /stɛinː/ | stone /stoːn/ |
| Mountain | beorg /beorɡ/ | berch /berx/ | mountayne /ˈmuːntain/ | berg /berɡ/ | 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌿𐌽𐌹 /ˈfɛrɡuni/ | fjall /fjɑlː/ | mountaine /ˈməuntɪn/ |
| Sea | sǣ /sæː/ | sē /seː/ | see /sɛː/ | seo /ˈseːo/ | 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 /ˈmareː/ | haf /hav/ | sea /seː/ |
| Mother | mōdor /moːdor/ | moder /moːdeɾ/ | moder /moːdər/ | modar /ˈmoːdar/ | 𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹 /aiθiː/ | móðir /moːðir/ | mother /ˈmʊðər/ |
| Father | fæder /fæder/ | feder /fedeɾ/ | fader /faːdər/ | fader /ˈfadər/ | 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌰 /ɑtːɑ/ | faðir /fɑðir/ | father /ˈfɑːðər/ |
| Daughter | dohtor /ˈdoxtor/ | dochter /ˈdoxteɾ/ | doughter /ˈdouxtər/ | dohtar /ˈdoxtar/ | 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌰𐍂 /dɔːhtar/ | dóttir /doːttir/ | daughter /ˈdɔːtər/ |
| I | ic /itʃ/ | ik /ik/ | I /iː/ | ik /ik/ | 𐌹𐌺 /ik/ | ek /ek/ | I /əi/ |
| You | þū /θuː/ | thū /θuː/ | thou /θuː/ | thu /θuː/ | 𐌸𐌿 /θuː/ | þú /θuː/ | thou /ðou/ |
| We | wē /weː/ | wī /wiː/ | we /weː/ | wī /wiː/ | 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 /wiːs/ | vér /veːr/ | we /wiː/ |
| Name | nama /ˈnɑma/ | nama /ˈnama/ | name /ˈnaːmə/ | namo /ˈnamo/ | 𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉 /nɑmoː/ | nafn /nafn/ | name /neːm/ |
| Person | mann /mɑnn/ | — | man /man/ | man /man/ | 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 /ˈmanːa/ | maðr /maðr/ | person /ˈpɛrsən/ |
| Head | hēafod /ˈhæːɑvod/ | hāved /ˈhaːved/ | hed /hɛːd/ | hōbid /ˈhoːβid/ | 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸 /ˈhɔːβiθ/ | hǫfuð /ˈhɔvuð/ | head /hɛd/ |
| Eye | ēage /æːɑɣe/ | āge /aːɣe/ | eye /iːə/ | ōga /ˈoːɡa/ | 𐌰𐌿𐌲𐍉 /ɑuɣoː/ | auga /ɑuɣɑ/ | eye /əi/ |
| Ear | ēare /æːɑre/ | are /ˈaːrə/ | ere /ɛːrə/ | ōra /ˈoːra/ | 𐌰𐌿𐍃𐍉 /ˈau̯soː/ | eyra /øyra/ | ear /eːr/ |
| Nose | nosu /nozu/ | nose /nozə/ | nose /nɔːzə/ | nasa /nasa/ | — | nef /nɛv/ | nose /noːz/ |
| Mouth | mūþ /muːθ/ | mūth /muːθ/ | mouth /muːθ/ | mūth /muːθ/ | 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃 /munθs/ | munnr /munːr/ | mouth /muːθ/ |
| Tooth | tōþ /toːθ/ | tōth /toːθ/ | tooth /toːθ/ | tand /tand/ | 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃 /tunθus/ | tǫnn /tɔnː/ | tooth /tʊθ/ |
| Tongue | tunge /ˈtuŋɡe/ | tunge /ˈtuŋɡe/ | tonge /ˈtɔŋɡə/ | tunga /ˈtuŋɡa/ | 𐍄𐌿𐌲𐌲𐍉 /tuŋɡoː/ | tunga /ˈtuŋɡa/ | tongue /tʊŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hɑnd/ | hond /hond/ | hand /hand/ | hand /hand/ | 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 /hɑndus/ | hǫnd /hɔnd/ | hand /hand/ |
| Foot | fōt /foːt/ | fōt /foːt/ | fot /foːt/ | fōt /foːt/ | 𐍆𐍉𐍄𐌿𐍃 /foːtus/ | fótr /foːtr/ | foot /fʊt/ |
| Heart | heorte /ˈheorte/ | herte /heɾte/ | herte /hɛrtə/ | herta /ˈherta/ | 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍉 /hɛrtoː/ | hjarta /hjɑrtɑ/ | heart /hɛrt/ |
| Bone | bān /bɑːn/ | bēn /beːn/ | bon /bɔːn/ | bēn /beːn/ | — /—/ | bein /bɛin/ | bone /boːn/ |
| Blood | blōd /bloːd/ | blōd /bloːd/ | blood /bloːd/ | blōd /bloːd/ | 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸 /bloːθ/ | blóð /bloːð/ | blood /bluːd/ |
| Poop | tord /tord/ | — | tord /tord/ | — | 𐍃𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌰 /ˈsmarna/ | drit /drit/ | turd /tɜːrd/ |
| Love | lufu /luvu/ | minne /minːe/ | love /ˈluvə/ | minnea /ˈminːea/ | 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌰𐌸𐍅𐌰 /friɑθwɑ/ | ást /ɑːst/ | loue /lʊv/ |
| Tree | trēow /treːow/ | bām /baːm/ | tre /treː/ | bōm /boːm/ | 𐌱𐌰𐌲𐌼𐍃 /bɑɣms/ | tré /treː/ | tree /triː/ |
| Dog | hund /hund/ | hund /hund/ | hound /huːnd/ | hund /hund/ | 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 /hunds/ | hundr /hundr/ | dogge /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | catt /kɑtt/ | katte /katːe/ | catte /katːə/ | katta /ˈkatːa/ | — /—/ | kǫttr /kɔtːr/ | cat /kat/ |
| Fish | fisc /fisk/ | fisk /fisk/ | fisch /fiʃ/ | fisk /fisk/ | 𐍆𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 /fisks/ | fiskr /fiskr/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | fugol /ˈfuɣol/ | fugel /ˈfuɡəl/ | brid /brid/ | fugal /ˈfuɡal/ | 𐍆𐌿𐌲𐌻𐍃 /fuɡls/ | fugl /fuɡl/ | bird /bɪrd/ |
| Butterfly | butorflēoge /ˈbutorfleːoɣe/ | — | buterflie /ˈbutərfliː/ | — | — | fífrildi /fiːfrildi/ | butterfly /ˈbʊtərfləi/ |
| Egg | ǣġ /æːj/ | ei /ɛi/ | ey /ɛiː/ | ei /ɛi/ | — | egg /ɛɡː/ | egge /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bera /ˈbera/ | — | bere /ˈbɛːrə/ | bero /ˈbero/ | — | bjǫrn /bjɔrn/ | bear /beːr/ |
| Horse | hors /hors/ | hors /hors/ | hors /hɔrs/ | hros /hros/ | — | hestr /hestr/ | horse /hɔrs/ |
| House | hūs /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | hous /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | 𐍂𐌰𐌶𐌽 /rɑzn/ | hús /huːs/ | house /huːs/ |
| Milk | meoluc /ˈmeoluk/ | melok /ˈmelok/ | milk /milk/ | miluk /ˈmiluk/ | 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌿𐌺𐍃 /miluks/ | mjólk /mjoːlk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | hunig /ˈhunij/ | hunich /ˈhunix/ | hony /ˈhɔni/ | huneg /ˈhunɛɣ/ | 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸 /miliθ/ | hunang /ˈhunɑŋɡ/ | honey /ˈhʊni/ |
| Salt | sealt /sæɑlt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐍄 /salt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ |
| Wine | wīn /wiːn/ | wīn /wiːn/ | wyn /wiːn/ | wīn /wiːn/ | 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽 /wiːn/ | vín /viːn/ | wine /wəin/ |
| Iron | īsern /ˈiːsern/ | īsern /ˈiːsern/ | iren /ˈiːrən/ | īsarn /ˈiːsarn/ | 𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌽 /iːsarn/ | járn /jaːrn/ | iron /ˈəirən/ |
| Wheel | hwēol /ˈhweːol/ | hwēl /hweːl/ | whel /hweːl/ | rath /raθ/ | — | hjól /hjoːl/ | wheel /ʍiːl/ |
| Silk | seolc /seolk/ | — | silk /silk/ | — | — | silki /silki/ | silke /sɪlk/ |
| Book | bōc /boːk/ | bōk /boːk/ | bok /boːk/ | bōk /boːk/ | 𐌱𐍉𐌺𐍉𐍃 /ˈboːkoːs/ | bók /boːk/ | booke /buːk/ |
| Eat | etan /etɑn/ | eta /etɑ/ | eten /eːtən/ | etan /ˈetan/ | 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 /mɑtjɑn/ | eta /etɑ/ | eate /eːt/ |
| Drink | drincan /drinkɑn/ | drinka /dɾinkɑ/ | drinken /ˈdrinkən/ | drinkan /ˈdrinkan/ | 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌺𐌰𐌽 /driŋkɑn/ | drekka /drekːɑ/ | drinke /driŋk/ |
| Sleep | slǣpan /slæːpɑn/ | slēpa /ˈsleːpa/ | slepen /ˈslɛːpən/ | slāpan /ˈslɑːpan/ | 𐍃𐌻𐌴𐍀𐌰𐌽 /sleːpan/ | sofa /ˈsova/ | sleepe /sliːp/ |
| One | ān /aːn/ | ān /aːn/ | oon /oːn/ | ēn /eːn/ | 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 /ains/ | einn /ɛinː/ | one /oːn/ |
| Two | twā /twɑː/ | twā /twaː/ | two /twɔː/ | twēne /ˈtweːne/ | 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹 /twai/ | tveir /tveir/ | two /tuː/ |
| Three | þrī /θriː/ | thrē /θreː/ | thre /θreː/ | thrie /θriː/ | 𐌸𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 /θriːs/ | þrír /θriːr/ | three /θriː/ |
| Four | fēower /ˈfeːower/ | fiuwer /ˈfiuwer/ | four /four/ | fiuwar /ˈfiuwar/ | 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 /fidwoːr/ | fjórir /fjoːrir/ | four /foːr/ |
| Five | fīf /fiːf/ | fīf /fiːf/ | fyve /fiːvə/ | fīf /fiːf/ | 𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆 /fimf/ | fimm /fimː/ | fiue /fəiv/ |
| Hundred | hund /hund/ | hundred /hundred/ | hundred /ˈhundrəd/ | hund /hund/ | 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌳 /hund/ | hundrað /hundrɑð/ | hundred /ˈhʊndrəd/ |
| Hello | wes hāl /wes haːl/ | heil /heil/ | hail /hɛːl/ | heil /heil/ | 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐍃 /hails/ | heill /hɛilː/ | good den /ɡuːd dɛn/ |
| Thank you | þanc /θɑnk/ | thank /θank/ | thank /θank/ | thank /θaŋk/ | 𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐍃 /θɑŋks/ | þǫkk /θɔkː/ | gramercy /ɡraˈmɛrsi/ |
| Good | gōd /ɡoːd/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | good /ɡoːd/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | 𐌲𐍉𐌸𐍃 /ɡoːθs/ | góðr /ɡoːðr/ | good /ɡʊːd/ |
| New | nīwe /ˈniːwe/ | nī /niː/ | newe /ˈniuə/ | niuwi /ˈniuwi/ | 𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌹𐍃 /ˈniujis/ | nýr /nyːr/ | new /nɪu̯/ |
| Red | rēad /ræːɑd/ | rād /raːd/ | reed /reːd/ | rōd /roːd/ | 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 /rɔːθs/ | rauðr /rɔuðr/ | red /rɛd/ |
| White | hwīt /ʍiːt/ | hwīt /hwiːt/ | whit /hwiːt/ | hwīt /hwiːt/ | 𐍈𐌴𐌹𐍄𐍃 /ʍiːts/ | hvítr /hwiːtr/ | white /ʍəit/ |
| Black | blæc /blæk/ | swart /swart/ | blak /blak/ | swart /swart/ | 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍂𐍄𐍃 /swarts/ | svartr /svartr/ | black /blak/ |
| Green | grēne /ɡreːne/ | grēne /ˈɡreːne/ | grene /ɡreːnə/ | grōni /ˈɡroːni/ | — | grǿnn /ɡrøːnː/ | greene /ɡriːn/ |
| Blue | hǣwen /hæːwen/ | — | bleu /blɛu̯/ | — | — | blár /blaːr/ | — |
| Cuckoo | ġēac /jæːɑk/ | — | cuccu /ˈkukuː/ | — | — | gaukr /ˈɡɔukr̩/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ |
| Ninety-nine | nigon and hundnigontig /ˈniɣon and hundˈniɣontiɣ/ | — | — | — | — | níu ok níu tigir /niːu ɔk niːu ˈtiɣir/ | — |
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