The Wordhord
Daily Life in Old English
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
An entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors.
'A marvelous book' Neil Gaiman
'Wonderful' - Tom Holland
'A lovely, lovely read' - Lucy Mangan
'Splendid' - David Crystal
'Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.' Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks
In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered gems of words together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you'll never see English in the same way again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Videen, a blogger and medievalist, sifts through centuries of Old English texts to create a portrait of medieval British life in this entertaining linguistic history. As Videen writes, "This book is not like a language primer so much as an old photo album. Old English words are familiar but also strange." In 12 chapters organized by topics such as food, play, and travel, she provides several "wordhords," or collections of Old English words and their meanings, and reveals how they have evolved. For example, winter, writing, and god have not changed in over a millennium, while others, including wil-cuma, (or well-comer, a good guest) and un-tima(un-time, a time when something is forbidden) have long since fallen into disuse. Videen walks readers through many examples and historical situations via language—in a section on meals, for example, she reveals that less daylight in winter meant just one meal a day, plus a snack and a glass of wine before bed. She skillfully brings to life early medieval England, describing both its highs and lows: "The thing about joy in Old English literature is that it's almost always followed by sorrow. With every feast, there is famine ahead." Well researched and cannily written, this smart survey makes the old feel new.
