Ææ = this is an Æsh and it sounds like the “a” in “hat(American Pronunciation)” Ðð =this is an Ed and it sounds like the “th” in “weather,” or “the;” Eth fell out of favor, in place of thorn – eth was created by drawing a line through a “d,” and in writing, you can either write a “d,” and draw a line through it, that it looks like a “đ(d-stroke,)” or the classic way, as a backward six with a stroke through it Þþ = this is a Þorne and it sounds like the “th” in “thorn,” however the previous letter, eth, fell out of favor and was replaced with either “th” or thorn, by the time of Middle English, soon thorn suffered the same fate. . . ſ ʃ = this is a “Medial-‘S,’” or “Long-‘S. ‘” The Long-Es was created as an equal to the primary form of the Greek letter Sigma; the Medial-Es functions exactly the same as the Final-Es, which replaced the Medial-Es – “stress,” by in the time of Early-Modern/Late-Middle English was written: “ſtreſs,” the word “blessings” was written: “bleſſings;” as you have probably figured out, the Capital-‘S’ was the same, and the Lowercaſe-’s’ were the same as they are today – “s” only came at the end of a word, it is a “Final-Es. " The “ʃ,” not to be confused with the African Esh(Sʃ,) was the design of the Medial-Es not common in English, this design was mostly used in Germany.
Alphabet Pronunciation Vocabulary Sentence structure and grammar Word forms
You may find it helpful to go line by line. Read the Old English version and then look at its modern English translation. Many line by line or word by word translations are also available online. You can even find a copy of Beowulf online. Websites for universities such as Oxford or the University of Texas have Beowulf and other Old English texts available. [1] X Research source
Purchase an Old English dictionary or glossary in a bookstore. Search for online glossaries. Many universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, offer internet dictionaries and glossaries in Old English. [3] X Research source
For example, in Beowulf, the ocean is referred to as “hwælweg” which translates to “whale road” and the human body is referred to as ”bānhūs” which translates to bone house.
Check university websites to see if they offer courses in Old English. You may find that English, history, archaeology, or other humanities and social science departments offer Old English classes. Find faculty who specialize in English literature from that period. They can often tell you when and where courses are offered. Figure out if you can sit in, or audit, Old English courses without enrolling at the university. You may first want to contact the professor to inquire if she minds having someone audit the course. Once you have her approval, contact the university registrar to see how you audit a course. You may want to ask if you have to pay anything or if you can just sit in on the lectures.
See what the requirements for registering for the class are. You may be able to participate without paying any fees. Try and find a course from a university or other institution of learning because they are more likely to have useful sources to help you successfully master Old English.
Contact professors in your local area to see if they teach private lessons in Old English. If not, see if they know of other professors or graduate students who may be able to offer a private course. Be prepared to pay at least $20/ hour. Old English is not a common language and using the time of a scholar to teach you takes away from their time. Ask what they would expect as payment and see if you can negotiate if it seems too high.
Be aware that some of these groups require registration or subscription, which means that you may need to send an email stating why you’d like to join. You also may need to commit to participating regularly as well. [7] X Research source Keep in mind these forums may also provide you with other resources or opportunities to learn old English. [8] X Research source
Learn that the some of the biggest differences come in phonology—Old English is very guttural, much more complex grammar based on proto-Germanic languages, and the largely Germanic vocabulary. Modern English is a much more Latin-based language as a result of the Norman invasion in 1066. [9] X Research source
Be prepared to learn everything from the start, including the writing system, grammar, and vocabulary. Realize that if you speak German, one of the Scandinavian languages, or any of their dialects, that you may be able to recognize more of the Old English vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Recognize that mastering another language usually takes 5-7 years depending on a variety of factors including your abilities and how much you practice. [10] X Trustworthy Source Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Nonprofit organization providing innovative, effective educational resources for educators designed to support student achievement Go to source Because there are fewer people who understand and speak Old English, this may not give you the chance to practice it very often and may prolong the process of acquiring it. Remember to keep practicing reading texts and speaking whenever you get a chance. This can help you master Old English more quickly.
Take the process as an opportunity to learn something that other people can’t understand. For example, if you and a friend can both speak some Old English, it can help you have “secret” conversations. Immerse yourself in the history of early England to help you visualize what texts like Beowulf might have looked like. Ask a friend to quiz your knowledge. This can help you learn and be fun for both of you as she laughs at how strange the words sound.
