Old English is the language you think you know until you actually hear or see it. Unlike Shakespearean English or even Chaucer鈥檚 Middle English, Old English鈥攖he language of Beowulf鈥攄efies comprehension by untrained modern readers. Used throughout much of Britain more than a thousand years ago, it is rich with words that haven鈥檛 changed (like word), others that are unrecognizable (such as neorxnawang, or paradise), and some that are mystifying even in translation (gafol-fisc, or tax-fish). In this delightful book, Hana Videen gathers a glorious trove of these gems and uses them to illuminate the lives of the earliest English speakers. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friendship, and where you might grow up to be a laughter-smith.
The Wordhord takes readers on a journey through Old English words and customs related to practical daily activities (eating, drinking, learning, working); relationships and entertainment; health and the body, mind, and soul; the natural world (animals, plants, and weather); locations and travel (the source of some of the most evocative words in Old English); mortality, religion, and fate; and the imagination and storytelling. Each chapter ends with its own 鈥渨ordhord鈥濃�攁 list of its Old English terms, with definitions and pronunciations.
Entertaining and enlightening, The Wordhord reveals the magical roots of the language you鈥檙e reading right now: you鈥檒l never look at鈥攐r speak鈥擡nglish in the same way again.
Awards and Recognition
- A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year
"A marvelous book."鈥擭eil Gaiman
"Videen is both a passionate medievalist and a relaxed, lucid writer; the pleasure she takes in her subject is infectious. . . . There are enough literary snippets here to suggest why Old English has enchanted so many authors."鈥擧enry Hitchings, Wall Street Journal
"A wonderful, very funny look at what the vocabulary of Old English reveals about the culture of the people who spoke it more than 1,000 years ago."鈥擬elissa Mohr, Christian Science Monitor
"A wonderful book that blends linguistics with a survey of everyday life in early Medieval England. If you want to know why music was known as 诲谤别补尘-肠谤忙蹿迟, what was meant by sawel-dreor鈥斺�榮oul blood鈥欌�攐r the origins of our days of the week, then this is for you. It constitutes a veritable leornung-hus, or 鈥榣earning house.鈥�"鈥擳om Holland, BBC History Magazine
"Videen reminds us that studying the Old English language still provides plenty of insights. Only 3.5 million words of Old English survive today鈥攔oughly thirty novels, to put it into stark perspective鈥攂ut these words reveal what life might have been like for people in early medieval England, what mattered to them, what they felt, how they occupied their time and how they situated themselves in the world around them. With this book Videen proves herself to be a gifted scop (storyteller) and an excellent guide to this vanished time."鈥擧etta Howes, Times Literary Supplement
"Delightful. . . . A classy gift to the commonly word-drunk."鈥擲teven Poole, The Guardian
"When the term 鈥榳ordhord鈥� appears in Old English literature, it is usually paired with 鈥榰nlock鈥欌�攚hich is exactly what this delightful book does. It unlocks the 1000-year-old treasure trove of Old English words that inflect our language and understanding of the world."鈥擟ameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
"Eminently giftable. . . . A book to be dipped in and out of for the riddles and enjoyable factoids."鈥擩ames Marriott, The Times (London)
"A very accessible, almost conversational book. . . . [The Wordhord] gives you the chance to roll these words around in your mouth and give you a really delicious taste of the language and the culture of that time."鈥擬artha Barnette, A Way with Words
"A captivating piece of work. . . . Videen鈥檚 work also provides an excellent illustration of how a language simultaneously shapes society and reflects it."鈥擣iona McQuarrie, PopMatters
"Remarkable. . . . Videen beautifully captures the everyday life of Old English speakers."鈥擬argot Enns, American Conservative
"[An] entertaining linguistic history. . . . Well researched and cannily written, this smart survey makes the old feel new."鈥�Publishers Weekly
"Engaging, conversational, humorous, and full of surprising revelations. . . . A specialized but delightful book that is essential for undergraduate students of linguistics, literature, and history and will appeal to anyone with a yen for history or language."鈥�Library Journal
"The Wordhord provides a fascinating introduction to early medieval England via evocative words. . . . A carefully constructed project that aims to foster a love of words and their history in its readers. . . . Helped along by Videen’s infectious enthusiasm for the difficult, beautiful language that is Old English, I am certain readers will find many of their own favorite words to treasure."鈥擬egan Cavell, Modern Philology
鈥淪plendid. . . . It is the perfect way to be introduced to Old English. There is insight on every page, in a beautifully clear and down-to-earth style, with humorous asides.鈥濃�擠avid Crystal, author of The Stories of English
鈥淎 rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history, and a delicious box of delights to dip into during stolen moments. I loved this book鈥攁nd learnt more from it than from any number of solemn language primers. Hana Videen has created a marvel.鈥濃�擭icola Griffith, author of Hild
鈥淎 wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure, a joyfully clever exploration of early medieval life.鈥濃�擡dward Brooke-Hitching, author of The Madman鈥檚 Library
