Part I Old and Middle English Periods.ppt

Part I Old and Middle English Period An Outline of English Literature G. C. Thornley and Gwyneth Roberts I. Old English period 1 Three stages of English language development: i. Old English /Anglo-Saxon (OE. As the language up to 1066 is usu. called) ??The old English language, also called Anglo-Saxon, was the earliest form of English. It is difficult? to give exact? dates for the rise and development of a language, because it does not change suddenly; but? perhaps it is true to say that Old English was spoken from about AD. 600 to about 1100. i) What is Old English? Old English is the name given to the Germanic language spoken in the southern part of the island of Britain before the Norman Conquest in 1066 c.e. (and for about 100 years after the Conquest). This language is the ancestor of the Modern English spoken today, although it is quite different in appearance and sound at first glance. ii) Old English word Modern English biddan to ask biscop bishop kyning or cyning king blód blood Germanic in origin Brought to England by invading Angles, Saxons, etc. in the 5th Century Unrecognizable to most modern English readers and speakers Basis of many short, simple farming terms, guttural words we still use today (1/6th of words) Surviving Old English sheep ox earth field work fight laughter here there Farming terms, guttural words Beowulf (700) First English epic, a story of 3,000 lines, author unknown Story of Beowulf – about Hrothgar, King of the Danes, and a brave young man, Beowulf, from southern Sweden, who goes to help the King The first great poem (Anglo-Saxon) to be written Hw?t! We Gardena ? ? ? ? in geardagum, teodcyninga, ? ? ? ? trym gefrunon, hu ea ?telingas ? ? ? ? ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing ? ? ? sceatena treatum,  monegum m?gtum, ? ? ? ? meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. ? ? ? ? Syeean ?rest weare feasceaft funden, ? ? ? ? he t?s frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum, ? ? ? ? weoremyndum tah, oet?t