Introduction to Old English, 2nd Edition

by Peter S. Baker (University of Virginia)

• ISBN13: 9781405152723
• ISBN10: 1405152729
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Introduction to Old English is the leading text available designed to help students engage with Old English literary and historical texts for the first time. This new edition builds on the success of the original and includes an expanded anthology and new, easy-to-use glossary.The book 's rich pedagogy includes basic grammar reviews at the beginning of each major chapter, covering the foundations of Old English. Other features include "minitexts " for practice in reading the language, and a detailed introduction to meter and style that eases the transition from prose to poetry. The original anthology of 14 readings has also been expanded to include four new texts: Ælfric's Sermon on the Book of Job; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry (1087) on William the Conqueror; The Voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan from the Old English Orosius; and The Battle of Maldon.Introduction to Old English is an essential text for all students encountering the field for the first time.

Author Biography

Peter S. Baker is Professor of Medieval Literature at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. His previous publications include Byrhtferth's Enchiridion (co-edited with Michael Lapidge, 1995), Beowulf: Basic Readings (1995), The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: A Collaborative Edition (F), and the website www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xii
Preface to the Second Edition	p. xiii
How to use this book	p. xiv
The Anglo-Saxons and Their Language	p. 1
Who were they?	p. 1
Where did their language come from?	p. 3
What was Old English like?	p. 4
The Indo-European languages	p. 5
The Germanic languages	p. 6
West Germanic and Low German	p. 7
Old and Modern English	p. 8
Old English dialects	p. 9
Pronunciation	p. 11
Quick Start	p. 11
Vowels and diphthongs	p. 12
Consonants	p. 14
Sermonette	p. 16
More about vowels	p. 16
Short a, ae and ea	p. 16
I-mutation	p. 17
Silent e; o for u	p. 18
More about c and g	p. 18
Syllable length	p. 20
Accentuation	p. 20
On-line pronunciation practice	p. 21
Summary	p. 21
Basic Grammar: A Review	p. 22
Parts of speech	p. 22
Nouns	p. 23
Pronouns	p. 23
Verbs	p. 24
Adjectives	p. 26
Adverbs	p. 27
Prepositions	p. 27
Conjunctions	p. 27
Interjections	p. 28
Phrases	p. 28
Clauses	p. 29
Elements of the sentence or clause	p. 30
Subject	p. 30
Verb	p. 31
Object	p. 32
Complement	p. 33
Predicate	p. 33
Case	p. 34
What is case?	p. 31
Uses of the cases	p. 35
Nominative	p. 36
Accusative	p. 36
Genitive	p. 37
Dative	p. 38
Instrumental	p. 39
Pronouns	p. 41
Quick start	p. 41
Personal pronouns	p. 41
Possessive adjectives	p. 43
Demonstrative pronouns	p. 44
More about personal and demonstrative pronouns	p. 44
The dual number	p. 44
Common spelling variants	p. 45
Interrogative pronouns	p. 45
Indefinite pronouns	p. 46
Relative pronouns	p. 47
Reflexive pronouns	p. 48
Reciprocal pronouns	p. 48
Nouns	p. 50
Quick start	p. 50
Strong nouns	p. 51
Weak nouns	p. 53
Athematic nouns	p. 55
More about strong nouns	p. 56
Two-syllable nouns	p. 56
Nouns with changes in the stem syllable	p. 57
Nouns with -w- or -g- before the ending	p. 58
Minor declensions	p. 59
u-stem nouns	p. 59
Nouns of relationship	p. 59
Nouns with -r- plurals	p. 60
Nouns with -[thorn]- endings	p. 60
Verbs	p. 62
Quick start	p. 62
Strong and weak verbs	p. 62
Beon 'to be'	p. 65
Preterite-present verbs	p. 66
More about endings	p. 66
Assimilation	p. 66
Plurals ending in -e	p. 67
Subjunctive plural endings	p. 67
More about weak verbs	p. 67
Classes 1 and 2	p. 68
Class 1 weak verbs that change their vowels	p. 69
Contracted verbs	p. 70
Class 3 weak verbs	p. 71
More about strong verbs	p. 71
The strong verb classes	p. 71
Verbs affected by grammatical alternation	p. 74
Contracted verbs	p. 75
Tips on strong verbs	p. 76
Verbs with weak presents and strong pasts	p. 77
More about preterite-present verbs	p. 78
Don, gan, willan	p. 79
Negation	p. 80
The verbals	p. 81
Infinitives	p. 81
Participles	p. 82
The subjunctive	p. 83
Adjectives	p. 87
Quick start	p. 87
Strong adjectives	p. 89
Weak adjectives	p. 90
Comparison of adjectives	p. 91
Numerals	p. 93
Quick start	p. 93
Cardinal numbers	p. 94
Ordinal numbers	p. 95
Adverbs, Conjunctions and Prepositions	p. 96
Quick start	p. 96
Adverbs	p. 96
Comparison of adverbs	p. 98
Conjunctions	p. 98
Correlation	p. 99
Prepositions	p. 101
Concord	p. 103
Quick start	p. 103
Subject and verb	p. 104
Impersonal verbs	p. 106
Pronoun and antecedent	p. 107
Noun and modifiers	p. 108
Bad grammar?	p. 109
Word-order	p. 112
Quick start	p. 112
Subject-Verb	p. 112
Verb-Subject	p. 114
Subject...Verb	p. 115
Correlation	p. 116
Anticipation	p. 118
Periphrastic verbs	p. 118
Metre	p. 120
Alliteration	p. 121
Rhythm	p. 123
Lifts, half-lifts and drops	p. 123
Rhythmic types	p. 125
Hypermetric verses	p. 128
Poetic Style	p. 130
Vocabulary	p. 131
Variation	p. 134
Formulas	p. 137
Phrases	p. 137
Themes	p. 139
Originality and quality	p. 140
The Grammar of Poetry	p. 143
Inflections	p. 143
Pronouns	p. 143
Verbs	p. 143
Adjectives	p. 144
Syntax	p. 144
Omission of subjects and objects	p. 144
Omission of prepositions	p. 146
Adjectives used as nouns	p. 147
Word-order	p. 147
Independent and subordinate clauses	p. 149
Reading Old English Manuscripts	p. 153
Construction of the manuscript	p. 153
The Old English alphabet	p. 154
Abbreviations	p. 156
Punctuation and capitalization	p. 156
Word- and line-division	p. 159
Errors and corrections	p. 160
Common Spelling Variants	p. 161
Vowels of accented syllables	p. 161
Unaccented syllables	p. 162
Consonants	p. 163
Phonetic Symbols and Terms	p. 164
International Phonetic Alphabet symbols	p. 164
Phonetic terms	p. 166
Further Reading	p. 167
General works	p. 167
Grammars	p. 167
Dictionaries and concordances	p. 168
Bibliographies	p. 168
Old English texts and translations	p. 169
Literary criticism; sources and analogues; metre	p. 169
History and culture	p. 170
Manuscripts, art and archaeology	p. 170
On-line aids	p. 171
On-line amusements	p. 172
Anthology	p. 173
The Fall of Adam and Eve	p. 173
The Life of St Aethelthryth	p. 175
Aelfric on the Book of Job	p. 178
Cynewulf and Cyneheard	p. 185
The Martyrdom of Aelfheah	p. 187
William the Conqueror	p. 190
Sermo Lupi ad Anglos	p. 194
Ohthere and Wulfstan	p. 200
The Story of Caedmon	p. 208
Boethius on Fame	p. 212
A Lyric for Advent	p. 220
The Battle of Maldon	p. 221
The Wanderer	p. 234
The Dream of the Rood	p. 239
Wulf and Eadwacer	p. 244
The Wife's Lament	p. 246
The Husband's Message	p. 249
Judith	p. 251
Textual Notes	p. 262
Glossary	p. 269
References	p. 377
Index	p. 384
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