I'm not surprised:-)! Nevertheless, it's truly beautiful and the fact that it has preserved so many archaic traits makes it a unique linguistic treasure.
Can we blame them? Normative grammar ruins languages with excessive and totally unnecessary complications which have nothing to do with the natural language and many times considering wrong what was actually the way people built sentences in the past, etc. For instance, to date I consider Irish and Scottish Gaelic spellings totally absurd but their apologists insist in saying it's perfectly practical and logical, oh my.
I just spent the greater part of Saturday reading Hahn's edition of Sir Gawain (Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle).
I'll probably end up reading more of the theological/ecclesiastical period pieces - Destruction of Jerusalem seems a fascinating Middle English poetical-fictional rendition of that event.
The last time I encountered Middle English was an exegetical essay on 2 Thessalonians 2, where I dug a little into one of Wycliffe's letters on the Pope as antichrist. But back then I could not read thorn, eth, wynn or aesh (and even now I struggle with those 4 letters, especially if it is a manuscript rather than printed text). Ill have to go back and read it again now that my Middle English proficiency is improving!
Old English still reads like a foreign language to me, so I'll stick to Middle for now!
Thank you so much for this post. I've already stated my Middle English reading journey and this post adds to my excitement. Just read Chaucer's THE BOOK OF DUCHESS. Really liked to put a vibe to the title I've always heard. I've read SIR GAWAIN. Starting PEARL soon. Wish me luck!🤞🏽
Good plan! And once you know Old English, much of the difficulty of Middle English goes away, since many of the unfamiliar words are simply continuations of Old English words. I hope you enjoy Ōsweald Bera!
Wonderful stuff! As an Icelander I'm always glad to see þ and ð in oðer þings 😁😁
As a Brazilian, I always loved these letters in modern Icelandic too, even though I find the language grammar terribly hard to learn, lol
😄😄 I hear that a lot.
I'm not surprised:-)! Nevertheless, it's truly beautiful and the fact that it has preserved so many archaic traits makes it a unique linguistic treasure.
Try telling that to Icelandic teenagers 😝😝
Can we blame them? Normative grammar ruins languages with excessive and totally unnecessary complications which have nothing to do with the natural language and many times considering wrong what was actually the way people built sentences in the past, etc. For instance, to date I consider Irish and Scottish Gaelic spellings totally absurd but their apologists insist in saying it's perfectly practical and logical, oh my.
😅😅
Takk fyrir!
I’m liking this new knowledge about old language!
Thanks, Brian!
Colin, I've been lurking for some months but it's time to get a sub.
The way in which you regale the linguistics behind my heart language is a welcome maelstrom of delight!
You're single-handedly recruiting a new generation of Old and Middle English aficionados. Well done!
Thank you very much! If I can get more people reading Old and Middle English, I'll consider this project a complete success!
I just spent the greater part of Saturday reading Hahn's edition of Sir Gawain (Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle).
I'll probably end up reading more of the theological/ecclesiastical period pieces - Destruction of Jerusalem seems a fascinating Middle English poetical-fictional rendition of that event.
The last time I encountered Middle English was an exegetical essay on 2 Thessalonians 2, where I dug a little into one of Wycliffe's letters on the Pope as antichrist. But back then I could not read thorn, eth, wynn or aesh (and even now I struggle with those 4 letters, especially if it is a manuscript rather than printed text). Ill have to go back and read it again now that my Middle English proficiency is improving!
Old English still reads like a foreign language to me, so I'll stick to Middle for now!
Just so full of wonder 💭 love it 😊
Thank you!
It's interesting to compare the translations to the original and see words only in the original that have a modern form.
Ah, well, you have to do something to keep the meter.
I would however like to see someone attempt to revive fordolked 'severely wounded' in Modern English.
Nice! I love the history of English language and how logical the evolution is
Thank you so much for this post. I've already stated my Middle English reading journey and this post adds to my excitement. Just read Chaucer's THE BOOK OF DUCHESS. Really liked to put a vibe to the title I've always heard. I've read SIR GAWAIN. Starting PEARL soon. Wish me luck!🤞🏽
Is there an explanation of why "woot express" becomes "know so plain" instead of "would express"?
"Woot" is a verb, meaning "know." You sometimes see it in later English (e.g. Shakespeare), where it's often spelled "wot."
"Express" is an adjective, meaning "clear, distinct, explicit."
Good plan! And once you know Old English, much of the difficulty of Middle English goes away, since many of the unfamiliar words are simply continuations of Old English words. I hope you enjoy Ōsweald Bera!