What makes closely related languages have a different word order? This is what researchers at the University of Oslo will find out.
Thegns in the Danelaw: a case for Scandinavian usage of the term in the 10-11th century England
October 24, 2017 by
This presentation addresses the possibility of the Old English influence upon the Old Norse in the usage of the word ‘thegn’.
Monks, philologists, and VR
August 23, 2017 by
Learning from medieval memory techniques in this TEDx talk
The Linguistic Influence of the Norman Conquest (11th Century) on the English Language
October 16, 2016 by
In this paper I present some historical facts that took place regarding the Norman Conquest in England, then, I discuss the different Linguistic influences on English which appears to lend support to the fact that the French Normans had a major effect on the English Language.
Baptism in Anglo-Saxon England
June 28, 2016 by
This thesis examines the lexical field of baptism in Old English. The lexical development of the field and the semantic development of the individual lexemes were evaluated: the verbs fulwian, cristnian, depan, dyppan, and the vocabulary for baptismal water in Old English. At every stage of the project, the linguistic data was correlated to theological, liturgical and cultural backgrounds.
Cultural Exchange in the Languages and Literatures of Medieval Spain
April 27, 2016 by
Professor David Wacks’s fascinating discussion of the Iberian Peninsula and it’s incredible linguistic heritage.
The History of German as a Foreign Language in Europe
December 6, 2015 by
This article provides the first overview in English of how German has been taught and learned in Europe up to about 1800
Do You Know The Meaning Of These 21 English Words From Centuries Past?
October 29, 2015 by
Quit twattling and take the quiz – these were words spoken in England from the Middle Ages and Early Modern eras…
The earliest use of the F-word discovered
September 10, 2015 by
An English historian has come across the word ‘fuck’ in a court case dating to year 1310, making it the earliest known reference to the swear word.
10 Phrases that Originated in the Middle Ages
September 5, 2015 by
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
The Origins of Cistercian Sign Language
August 22, 2015 by
The present study begins with a discussion of the different forms of non-verbal communication used in early medieval monastic communities, with an emphasis on the sources for the use of sign language among Cluniac monks.
How to Speak Middle English
July 2, 2015 by
This four-part series of videos created by Youtuber Thatoneguyinlitclass gives a quick guide to speaking in Middle English.
Book Review: Drout’s Quick and Easy Old English
June 17, 2015 by
It may seem a little incredible that anyone would need a textbook to learn an older version of his or her mother tongue, but learning Old English (Anglo-Saxon) takes some time and effort – and a good textbook.
How Do You Say ‘Bastard’ in Medieval Latin?
March 23, 2015 by
As I am finding, analysis of the language of illegitimate birth reveals a rich, complex vocabulary used to indicate something less than fully legitimate birth.
The Old English Translation of Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum in its Historical and Cultural Context
February 14, 2015 by
Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (HE), written c. 731, enjoyed a great popularity among the Anglo-Saxons and Carolingians and was one of the most popular texts in medieval Europe.
Cryptographic Systems Used in the Romanian Countries between the 15th – 19th Centuries
February 13, 2015 by
Situated in the southeast of Europe, Romanian Countries had an intense diplomatic activity, even if this was not recorded accordingly in documents of the day.
Metaphor in the Medieval Middle East
January 26, 2015 by
Through a study of metaphor in medieval Arabic literature, Stanford comparative literature professor Alexander Key finds that the Arab world had a head start on the West when it comes to understanding how language works.
Changing from OV to VO: More evidence from Old French
January 1, 2015 by
One of the more obvious syntactic changes in the development of the Romance languages involved a switch in basic word order from the Latin SOV to the Romance SVO, a change still underway in early Old Romance. I
Domiciling the Evangelists in Anglo-Saxon England: a Fresh Reading of Aldred’s colophon in the Lindisfarne Gospels
December 20, 2014 by
What is actually reliable about this highly literary colophon is Aldred’s purpose in writing the gloss: to give the Evangelists a voice to address ‘all the brothers’− particularly the Latinless.
Norse loanwords in Old and Middle Irish
December 9, 2014 by
It is my objective to detect what the semantic development of Norse loanwords in Old and Middle Irish can tell us about the language and social contact situation of the Irish and the Norse raiders and settlers during the Viking Age.
‘Falseness Reigns in Every Flock’: Literacy and Eschatological Discourse in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
November 30, 2014 by
The literature of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, a miscellany of fourteenth-century poetry and prose penned before, during, and after the insurrection, often stresses the importance of literacy to the nonaristocratic population of England.
Pedlars and Alchemists in Friuli History of itinerant sellers in an alpine reality
August 25, 2014 by
This short review discusses about itinerant sellers in Friuli, who are Cramaro called (XI-XIX centuries). Attention is focused, in particular, on the question if some of theme were alchemists.
‘That melodious linguist’: Birds in Medieval Christian and Islamic Cosmography
August 12, 2014 by
“Birds,” writes Albertus Magnus, “generally call more than other animals. This is due to the lightness of their spirits.”
How well do you know the origins of English words? – Part 2
August 8, 2014 by
Can you tell which English words come from Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse?
(Re)casting the Past: The Cloisters and Medievalism
July 22, 2014 by
In this essay, I focus on a variety of texts printed using Anglo-Saxon type between 1566 and 1623 in an effort to explore the use of Anglo-Saxon typeface in the early modern period as the use of the Old English language progressed from polemical truncheon to historiographical instrument.
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