The wordhord : daily life in Old English

The wordhord Daily life in Old English

Hana Videen

Book - 2022

"An entertaining and illuminating collection of weird, wonderful, and downright baffling words from the origins of English -- and what they reveal about the lives of the earliest English speakers. Old English is the language you think you know until you actually hear or see it. Unlike Shakespearean English or even Chaucer's Middle English, Old English -- the language of Beowulf -- defies comprehension by untrained modern readers. Used throughout much of Britain more than a thousand years ago, it is rich with words that haven't changed (like word), others that are unrecognizable (such as neorxnawang, or paradise), and some that are mystifying even in translation (gafol-fisc, or tax-fish). In this delightful book, Hana Videen g...athers a glorious trove of these gems and uses them to illuminate the lives of the earliest English speakers. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friendship, and where you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. The Wordhord takes readers on a journey through Old English words and customs related to practical daily activities (eating, drinking, learning, working); relationships and entertainment; health and the body, mind, and soul; the natural world (animals, plants, and weather); locations and travel (the source of some of the most evocative words in Old English); mortality, religion, and fate; and the imagination and storytelling. Each chapter ends with its own "wordhord"--a list of its Old English terms, with definitions and pronunciations. Entertaining and enlightening, The Wordhord reveals the magical roots of the language you're reading right now: you'll never look at--or speak--English in the same way again." --

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Subjects
English language > Old English, ca. 450-1100 > History.
English language > Old English, ca. 450-1100 > Terms and phrases.
Published
Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Hana Videen (author)
Edition
Princeton University Press edition
Item Description
"First edition published in Great Britain by Profile Books Ltd 2021.
Physical Description
284 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780691232744
  • 1. The Language You Thought You Knew
  • 2. Eating and Drinking
  • 3. Passing the Time
  • 4. Learning and Working
  • 5. Playing (and More Drinking)
  • 6. Making Friends and Enemies
  • 7. Caring for Body and Mind
  • 8. The World Outside
  • 9. Wildlife
  • 10. Travel
  • 11. Beyond Human
  • 12. Searching for Meaning
  • 13. Hoarding Words
  • Panc-word (thank-words)
  • Sources
  • Images
Review by Choice Review

Medievalist Hana Videen (independent scholar) first began tweeting about Old English in 2013, https://twitter.com/oewordhord, which eventually led to blogging on her website https://oldenglishwordhord.com. Her passion for early English language and literature led to this book. It earned accolades from both Neil Gaiman and David Crystal, so readers will expect they are about to unlock a special treasure. Wordhord will not disappoint them. Written in a conversational style that playfully uncovers the meaning of words and their cultural contexts, Videen's book will appeal to all lovers of language and at the same time serve as an excellent companion to students of Old English literature or language. After a brief introduction to English's earliest contexts, Videen unlocks the treasure chest of ancient English to explore words grouped according to topics--e.g., "Eating and Drinking," "Learning and Working," "Caring for Body and Mind," to name a few--providing phonemic and nonphonemic pronunciation guides for each word in the process. The result is an accessible, erudite study. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Alan P. Church, independent scholar

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Videen, a blogger and medievalist, sifts through centuries of Old English texts to create a portrait of medieval British life in this entertaining linguistic history. As Videen writes, "This book is not like a language primer so much as an old photo album. Old English words are familiar but also strange." In 12 chapters organized by topics such as food, play, and travel, she provides several "wordhords," or collections of Old English words and their meanings, and reveals how they have evolved. For example, winter, writing, and god have not changed in over a millennium, while others, including wil-cuma, (or well-comer, a good guest) and un-tima (un-time, a time when something is forbidden) have long since fallen into disuse. Videen walks readers through many examples and historical situations via language--in a section on meals, for example, she reveals that less daylight in winter meant just one meal a day, plus a snack and a glass of wine before bed. She skillfully brings to life early medieval England, describing both its highs and lows: "The thing about joy in Old English literature is that it's almost always followed by sorrow. With every feast, there is famine ahead." Well researched and cannily written, this smart survey makes the old feel new. (Apr.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Ye Olde Englishe this is not: Videen, who has been sharing actual Anglo-Saxon words via Twitter (@OEWordhord) for almost 10 years, devotes her first chapter of this collection of Old English to distinguishing the real from the signboard version. She also offers a concise history of the origins of today's English, from the Romans' departure to the first Plantagenet, ca. 450--1150 CE. Subsequent chapters explore the lives of the earliest English speakers, creators of Beowulf: their diet, leisure, education, work, beliefs, social relations, and more. This early medieval world contains etymological glimpses of later periods. At the end of each chapter, Videen lists the words encountered, their meaning, and (probable) pronunciation. Despite the esoteric content, the prose is engaging, conversational, humorous, and full of surprising revelations: Who would have guessed that the word "lady" derives from "bread-maker"? The source list will inspire further research. VERDICT A specialized but delightful book that is essential for undergraduate students of linguistics, literature, and history and will appeal to anyone with a yen for history or language.--Patricia Lothrop

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