Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Wierd Language Queries

This is topic Wierd Language Queries in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

I don't suppose anyone out there knows much Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) do they? I'm looing for a couple of phrases. While I can look up the words etc I'm just a bit concerned about sentence structure.

Or perhaps I worry too much!

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

I happen to have my Early English Lit text book with me. It has some Old English stuff in it.

What sort of phrases are you looking for?

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

i have a copy of an anglo-saxon grammar book - but I've only casually glanced through it. maybe i could dig something up for you.

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

Wow

you guys are absolute stars!

What I'm looking for is somethign like this -
"There they are, by the lake/river"
haven't a clue much beyond easteth or ofer for riverbank.

"Where did you find the xxx?" where xxx is something derogatory about a skinny boy in a grey homespun robe - given the words I was able to remember/find - a grey moth. I thought something like

"hwa is eower graeg moth?"

(I think) that's who is your grey moth.
But it's a bit of a rubbish insult.

Also
"Stay still"

Generally, the sort of things that people say just prior to, and possibly during a fight when only one of their opponents understands them.

It's unlikely that I will be using that much in the end, but I'd like to have a few options.

Thanks
R

Posted by Eadwacer (Member # 2393) on :

Someone else should really doublecheck my work.

There they are, by the lake.
þære ge sind, néah þäm mere.

I'll look at the others later. (All umlauts should be macrons). Also, this word "mere" meaning lake, sea, pond, body of water, is our source for "mermaid".

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

Mere also turns up in a number of English placenames (for obvious reasons)

Many many thanks for your help

Btw I'm working on the principle of replacing the old english script specific letters with their modern equivalent - i.e. þære ge sind, néah þäm mere = thaere ge sind, neah tham mere.

Apart from the scholars, I'm asuming there's no problem with that as it makes it far more readable for the average reader.

Any thoughts?

[This message has been edited by RFLong (edited March 15, 2005).]

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

I started looking through my lit text book, but unfortunately all the Old English was translated. I'm going try and find orginal language versions of Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon to see if I can glean some phrases.

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

I had a look at Beowulf and got

Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel
Fate does as she will

Which may come in handy.

Also
onband beadurune
literally Unbound the battlerunes, or Started the fight.
Anyone got a clue about tense? This is where I run into problems. It's been over 10 years since I studied this.

[This message has been edited by RFLong (edited March 15, 2005).]

Posted by Eadwacer (Member # 2393) on :

"onband beadurune" = "Unbound the battlerunes"
"onbindeþ beadurune" = "Unbinds the battlerunes"
"onbind beadurune" = "Unbind the battlerunes" (Imperative)

(My primary dictionary: http://home.comcast.net/~modean52/oeme_dictionaries.htm)

Edited to fix the link

[This message has been edited by Eadwacer (edited March 16, 2005).]

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

Thanks again Eadwacer.

Btw the link doesn't work for me.

Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :

Many thanks

that's a great link. I think I have everything now - Or at least I hope so.

Thanks guys

Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :

Thanks for the link. It will help me on something I've been working on.