WORD – MEANING
1. banhus – body, comes from bone house NOUN
2. bearm – bosom or lap NOUN
3. bedight – decorate VERB
4. besmirch – smear so as to make dirty or stained VERB
5. betroth – become engaged, plan to marry VERB
6. broga – danger NOUN
7. cyse – cheese NOUN
8. ditty – a short simple song (I used this a couple of days ago on a Reddit post. At least one kid knew what I was talking about and responded with the song lyrics.) NOUN
9. dray – a low heavy horse cart without sides; used for haulage (Historical authors and western authors like Loretta C. Rogers use this one.) NOUN
10. dyrne – secret ADJECTIVE
11. erstwhile – belonging to some prior time (love this) ADJECTIVE
12. forsooth – used to mean `in truth’ but now usually expresses disbelief ADVERB
13. forswear – reject or disavow a formerly held belief VERB
14. gast – ghost, spirit NOUN
15. guma – man NOUN
16. hither – to this place, especially toward the speaker (Have you ever given a come hither look?) ADVERB
17. holt – forest NOUN
18. hund – dog NOUN
19. hyge – heart, courage NOUN (Hygelac is an ancient Swedish king and a character in the epic poem Beowulf.)
20. man – crime NOUN
21. mere – lake NOUN
22. soothsayer – fortune teller NOUN
23. stalwart – having rugged physical strength (This was used in a song sung by Giles in the musical Buffy episode.) ADJECTIVE
24. swain – male lover of a young woman NOUN
25. thither – toward that place, away from the speaker ADVERB
26. thwart – hinder VERB
27. whence – from what place, source, or cause ADVERB
28. wight – a human being NOUN
29. wizened – lean and wrinkled ADJECTIVE
30. wyrd – fate NOUN
Here is a fascinating You Tube video taking us back in time through the English language. Near the end The Lord’s Prayer is recited and appears onscreen in Old English.
More: https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/18058
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~cr30/vocabulary/
Cheers & Happy Reading and Happy Old English Word of the Day in September!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance
I also studied Old English for one year at University and I must admit I’m relieved that English combed itself into what it is today. Even if, for someone studying the language thoroughly, it is not as easy as many seem to think.
What amazes me is that a language that during the Normand occupation wasn’t worth speaking by the noble people and was used only by domestics and low people, has become one of the widest spread and spoken languages of the world.
Thanks for the video, Flossie! I pinned it.
I think that modern day people going back in time, let’s say even to Shakespeare’s time, would have some difficulties to understand what they would be told.
That is surely a great irony about the English language, Carmen!
I love seeing old words like this. Most were familiar to me, and many (believe it or not, I use….if not in speaking than in writing). Yes, it would be very difficult for us to go back in time and understand the language, but can you imagine what speakers of those ages would think of how we speak today? Somehow, I imagine that being very comical!
I faint at thinking how they would perceive us all the way around!
Thanks for this list. I may borrow we a few for a character in one of my paranormal romance and pick your brain for more when I get back to that story.
Great, Cathy!