The Differences between Old English, Middle English and Modern English
The most noticeable difference between older forms of English and today’s English is the alphabet.
20,000 words included in new dictionary of Shakespeare’s English
Its publication comes after 25 years of preparation, a £1 million Arts and Humanities Research Council grant, a team of up to 25 researchers, and seven years of hard work.
Egyptian Hieroglyphs in Late Antiquity, with Jennifer Westerfeld
A conversation with Jennifer Westerfeld on the scripts used to write ancient Egyptian, especially hieroglyphs. Their last attested use was in the 390s AD, ending their long history in our period. Meanwhile, Greek, Roman, and Christian observers were developing their own theories about how the script worked, often quite fantastic, and reacted to texts inscribed in public spaces.
By God’s Bones: Medieval Swear Words
What were bad words in the Middle Ages? Cursing or swearing in medieval England was really different from today’s world.
Ten Phrases that Originated in the Middle Ages
Some of our most popular phrases have a long history, including some that go back to the Middle Ages.
Norse Runes were just as advanced as Roman Alphabet writing, historian finds
In the Middle Ages, the Roman alphabet and Norse runes lived side by side. A new doctoral thesis challenges the notion that runes represent more of an oral and less of a learned form of written language
How to Start Learning Old English
Hana Videen offers some advice and tips about learning the Old English language.
What is hwæt?
What is that first word, the one that would eventually become modern English ‘what’?
The Wordhord with Hana Videen
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Hana Videen, an author who introduces Old English to new audiences through the lens of everyday life. Find out what makes Old English different, what makes it beautiful, and which words really deserve a comeback.
The Yorkshire Historical Dictionary brings lost words to life
A new volume of a historical dictionary revealing thousands of Yorkshire words which had been lost for centuries was launched earlier this month on Yorkshire Day (1 August).
Getting A Word In: Contact, Etymology and English Vocabulary in the Twelfth Century
This lecture explored the etymologies, meanings and contexts of some key words from this crucial time, as a way to think about the evidence for contact and change at the boundary of Old and Middle English and to illustrate how rich, diverse, challenging and surprising its voices can be.
How Old Norse and Latin co-existed in medieval Norway
When Latin arrived in Norway, Old Norse written culture also flourished. New research shows that runes and letters were used in alternation.
Giving new life to Early Irish and Old Norse through music
The sounds of early medieval languages, including now extinct Early Irish and Old Norse, are to be given new life through a pioneering European research project.
Old Norse for Modern Times
Have you ever wanted to wield the silver tongue of Loki – or to hammer home your point like a Thundergod?
20 English Proverbs that originated in the Middle Ages
Here is our 20 favourite English proverbs that have medieval origins.
How to build a house (and learn French) the medieval way
Perhaps one of the most delightful works from the Middle Ages is The Treatise of Walter of Bibbesworth. From it you can learn much about medieval daily life and be taught French at the same time.
Viking runestone reveals fear of climate catastrophe, scholars find
The new interpretation suggests the inscription deals the conflict between light and darkness, warmth and cold, life and death.
Latin and the key for language
Isabela is passionate about Latin and devoted her PhD thesis to bring to life the most accurate and precise version of the key to our western languages, the most ancient book in Latin: Alcuin’s Ars Grammatica.
‘The Limits of my Language mean the Limits of my World’: Multilingualism in Medieval Iceland
In this thesis, I discuss how medieval Icelanders would have considered foreign languages and those people who could speak them.
How to Read Old Nubian?
This question may be more difficult to answer than initially appears. How is it possible to revive knowledge of a language than hasn’t been spoken over centuries, and to write its grammar today?
The Emergence of the English – a new interpretation and an old conundrum
In the past decade or so a number of works have taken a fresh look at post-Roman Britain, in particular at the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in what is now England
Lost Irish words rediscovered, including the word for ‘oozes pus’
Researchers from Cambridge and Queen’s University Belfast have identified and defined 500 Irish words, many of which had been lost, and unlocked the secrets of many other misunderstood terms
Why Is English So Weird?
The English language is notoriously difficult to learn and to spell. In this episode of The Medieval Podcast, Danièle talks about the medieval roots of English and how it got to be so weird.
How much Latin can you remember?
Ten questions to test your Latin language skills!
The ABC of Medieval English Writing
I need to teach you how to read your ABC so we’re going to go back to first principles.