Old English: Lexis Flashcards
Who lived on the British Isles before the Romans settled there?
The British Isles were inhabited by Celtic tribes before the Roman invasion.
When did the Romans conquer England? When did they leave?
The Romans began their conquest of England in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius. They withdrew in 410 AD as the Empire weakened and troops were needed to defend Rome.
Why did the Germanic tribes come to England?
The Germanic tribes—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—came to England after the Roman withdrawal, invited initially to help defend against local threats like the Picts. Over time, they saw opportunity for land, resources, and settlement, leading to permanent migration.
Where did the Germanic come from (on the continent)?
The Germanic tribes that settled in England came from regions in present-day northern Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The Angles originated from the Angeln peninsula (in modern Schleswig-Holstein), the Saxons from Lower Saxony, and the Jutes from the Jutland peninsula in Denmark.
When did the Christianization take place?
Christianisation in England began in earnest in 597 AD, when Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to convert the Anglo-Saxons. Over the next century, Christianity spread widely, culminating with the conversion of most Anglo-Saxon kingdoms by the late 7th century.
Name three written symbols of the Old English writing system that are not used today?
Thorn (þ) - Represented the “th” sound as in thin.
Eth (ð) - Also used for the “th” sound, as in this.
Wynn (ƿ) - Represented the “w” sound, later replaced by the modern “w”.
Give the three phases of Latin influence on Old English. Which words entered the English language during each phase and why?
Continental borrowing (1st-5th centuries): Trade and military terms like street, wine, and cheese.
Christianisation (597 AD): Religious terms such as altar, angel, and priest.
Benedictine Reform (10th century): Scholarly terms like complexion, disease, and pulse.
What is the basis of the Old English core vocabulary? What about function words?
The core vocabulary of Old English is primarily Germanic, covering everyday concepts like family, nature, and body parts (e.g., mann for “man” and hus for “house”). Function words (such as and, in, and to) are also Germanic, forming the grammatical backbone of the language.
Give typical features of Scandinavian loan words.
Phonetic Changes: Adaptations in pronunciation, such as simplified consonant clusters (e.g., sk becoming sh).
Spelling Variations: Altered spellings reflecting Old Norse origins (e.g., sky from ský).
Word Forms: Introduction of new nouns, verbs, and adjectives, often related to everyday life (e.g., sky, egg, freckle).
Semantic Shifts: Sometimes, they brought new meanings or nuances (e.g., give from Old Norse gefa).
Influence on Grammar: Some loanwords impacted grammatical structures and vocabulary usage, integrating into everyday speech.
