History of English: Course Structure Old English 1. Language Change & Development Nigel Musk 2. Old English Teachers’ Programme 6161--9090 hp Department of Culture & Communication 3. Middle English Linköping University 4. Early Modern English Germanic Invaders & Dialects of Old English Genealogy of English & Scots Macafee West Germanic Old English Frisian Crystal 2003:6 & 28 Anglian West Saxon Old Mercian Northumbrian Mercian Anglo- Danish West Saxon Mercian Kentish Scots Stan dar d West Saxon English Kentish Crystal 2003:6 & 28 Old English Sources Written Old English Old English corpus = approx 3.5 million words (approx 30 Two writing systems: medium-sized novels) Runic inscriptions th Runic inscriptions, e.g. the Ruthwell Cross (7 century) Roman alphabet adapted from Latin Glossaries and translations (from Latin), e.g. Lindisfarne Gospels Laws, e.g. Æðelbirht’s Law Code (c. AD 602) Historical chronicles, e.g. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Religious works, e.g. Cædmon’s Hymn Poetry, e.g. Beowulf (manuscript from 11th century) Riddles Runes The Ruthwell Cross Less than 30 clear runic inscriptions in Old English The Ruthwell Cross The Franks Casket Gramley 2012: 33 & 35 Adapting the Roman Alphabet Old English Pronunciation 1 Generally written in the insular script Evidence for how OE was pronounced e, f, r,& s look different Alphabetical logic – comparing with Roman alphabet’s adaptation Additional letters: from Latin & variations in spellings due to regional variation æ ‘h’‘ash’ Comparative reconstruction – working backwards from later stages of ð ‘that/eth’ (voiced or unvoiced) English (deduction) ʓ ‘h’()‘yogh’ (=g) Sound changes – applying what we know about sound changes in Digraphs: general cg (=dge) sc (=sh) Poetic evidence – through rhymes and alliterations, also to indicate Letters borrowed from the runic alphabet: stress patterns þ ‘thorn’ (()gvoiced or unvoiced) also interchangeable with ð ‘eth’ BUT scribes could be inconsistent & make mistakes ƿ ‘wyn’ (=w) e.g. variation in single and double consonants (s/ss, d/dd, etc.) Old English Pronunciation 2 Old English Pronunciation 3 Crystal 2003: 18 Crystal 2003: 18 Old English Pronunciation 4 Bibliography Crystal, David (2005) 2nd edn. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Gramley, Stephan (2012) The History of English: An Introduction. Abbingdon, Oxon: Routledge McDowall, David (1989) An Illustrated History of Britain. Harlow, Essex: Longman Svartvik, Jan & Leech, Geoffrey (2006) English. One Tongue, Many Voices. Basingstoke, Hants: Palgrave Macmillan Shamon, Simon (2000) A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? 3000BC-AD1603. London: BBC Crystal 2003: 18.