The origins of English: A short introduction to Old English
Summary
TLDRThis video delves into the origins of English, highlighting Old English's distinct features compared to modern English, such as different symbols, vocabulary, and sentence structure. It traces the language's roots back to Germanic tribes like the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who migrated to Britain around 450 AD. Despite Old English's last native speaker dying over 900 years ago, its influence is still evident in today's language and popular culture, with words like 'home' and 'stone' having Old English origins. The video also notes how Old English inspires modern fantasy literature and is featured in TV series like 'Merlin' and 'Vikings'.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest form of the English language spoken over a thousand years ago.
- 🎭 Contrary to common misconception, Old English is not associated with William Shakespeare, whose works were written much later.
- 🔤 Old English features different symbols, words, pronunciation, and sentence structure compared to Modern English.
- 🌐 The language shares similarities with Frisian, Dutch, German, and Danish due to its Germanic roots.
- 🛳️ Old English originated from Germanic tribes, primarily the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who migrated to Britain around the year 450.
- 🏰 The legendary figures Hengist and Horsa are associated with the migration, though their story is likely a myth.
- 📜 Old English produced a significant body of literature, including medical texts, magical spells, and epic poetry like Beowulf.
- 🎞️ Old English continues to influence modern culture, particularly in fantasy literature and film adaptations.
- 🌐 Core vocabulary in present-day English, such as 'home', 'stone', and 'wood', has its roots in Old English.
- 🎭 Modern media, like the Harry Potter series, incorporates Old English words and names, keeping the language alive in popular culture.
Q & A
What is the origin of the English language discussed in the video?
-The video discusses that Old English, the earliest stage of the English language, originated from Germanic people who came from areas now known as the Low Countries, northern Germany, and Southern Denmark.
Why is the association between Old English and William Shakespeare incorrect?
-The association is incorrect because Old English is a thousand years older than Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, and his famous quotes would have sounded completely different if they had been written in Old English.
What are some of the unique features of Old English that distinguish it from Modern English?
-Old English has different symbols like the ash and the thorn, different words, different pronunciation, different sentence structure, and grammatical gender and case.
What are the names of the three tribes that brought the English language to Britain?
-The three tribes that brought the English language to Britain were the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, collectively often referred to as the Anglo-Saxons.
What is the significance of the fortress in Leiden, Netherlands, in the context of Old English?
-According to medieval legends, the fortress in Leiden was a back-up plan for Hengist and Horsa, who led the Anglo-Saxons to Britain. However, much of this story is considered myth, and the fortress is not definitively connected to the Anglo-Saxons.
What is the oldest surviving poem in Old English, and what is it about?
-The oldest surviving poem in Old English is 'Beowulf,' an epic poem that tells the tale of the hero Beowulf fighting monsters and a dragon.
How has Old English influenced modern popular culture?
-Old English has influenced modern popular culture, particularly in fantasy literature, where many modern authors have been inspired by medieval language and literature, including names and dialogues in works like 'Harry Potter' and TV series such as 'Merlin' and 'Vikings'.
What evidence is there of Old English in the language we use today?
-Many common words we use today, such as 'home,' 'stone,' 'it,' 'is,' 'today,' 'word,' 'wood,' 'there,' 'what,' 'will,' 'if,' 'and,' and 'up,' derive from Old English, indicating that much of the core vocabulary of present-day English is over a thousand years old.
How does the video suggest that Old English is still very much alive?
-The video suggests that Old English is still very much alive through its influence on modern vocabulary, popular culture, and the fact that it has inspired authors and creators in their works.
What is the significance of the phrase 'All is well that ends well' in the context of the video?
-The phrase 'All is well that ends well' is a quote from Shakespeare, which the video uses to illustrate how Shakespeare's language would have sounded if he had spoken Old English, highlighting the difference between Old English and the English of his time.
Outlines
📜 Origins of English Language
This video segment delves into the origins of the English language, specifically Old English, which dates back over a thousand years. It clarifies a common misconception by explaining that Old English predates William Shakespeare by a millennium, and thus his works would not have been written in this ancient form. The segment provides a glimpse into the phonetics and orthography of Old English, highlighting its distinct symbols like 'ash' and 'thorn,' and different vocabulary and sentence structure compared to modern English. The historical context is further enriched by discussing the Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who are believed to have brought the language to Britain around the 5th century. The narrative also touches upon the legendary figures Hengist and Horsa, and the possible mythological aspects of their story, including their supposed connection to the medieval fortress in Leiden, Netherlands.
📚 Old English in Modern Culture
The second paragraph explores the enduring presence of Old English in contemporary culture, despite the last native speaker having died over 900 years ago. It emphasizes how many common English words have their roots in Old English, such as 'home,' 'stone,' 'wood,' and 'will.' The segment also discusses the influence of Old English on modern fantasy literature, with references to authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, who have incorporated Old English elements into their works. Examples include the use of Old English words in the 'Harry Potter' series and the inspiration drawn from medieval language for character names and dialogue in TV series like 'Merlin' and 'Vikings.' The video concludes with a nod to Shakespeare's adage, 'All is well that ends well,' reimagined in an Old English context to illustrate the language's continued relevance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Old English
💡William Shakespeare
💡Germanic languages
💡Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
💡Leiden
💡Beowulf
💡Vocabulary
💡Popular culture
💡Wheezing cough
💡Medieval legends
Highlights
Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest form of the English language spoken over a thousand years ago.
Old English is often mistakenly associated with William Shakespeare, who lived a thousand years after Old English was spoken.
Old English features different symbols, words, pronunciation, and sentence structure compared to Modern English.
Old English has grammatical gender and case, which are also found in other Germanic languages.
The English language was brought to Britain by Germanic people from the Low Countries, northern Germany, and southern Denmark around the year 450.
The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons, are believed to have led the migration to Britain.
The story of Hengist and Horsa, who led the Anglo-Saxons to Britain, is largely a myth.
Old English produced a significant number of texts, including medical recipes, magical spells, and epic poetry like Beowulf.
Beowulf, an Old English epic poem, has been adapted into movies over ten times, showing its enduring influence.
Old English is still present in the core vocabulary of present-day English, with words like 'home', 'stone', and 'wood'.
Modern fantasy literature, including works by J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin, has been inspired by Old English.
Old English words can be heard in modern TV series set in the Middle Ages, such as BBC's Merlin and History Channel's Vikings.
Despite the language's differences, Old English is very much alive and continues to influence modern English and popular culture.
Shakespeare's famous quote 'All is well that ends well' would have sounded different in Old English.
Transcripts
in this video we'll look at the origins
of English and go back to the very
beginning the earliest stage of the
language all the English or as it would
have said over a thousand years ago a
old English first I'll give you a taste
of what all the nooks looks like and
sounds like next we'll talk about where
all the English comes from and lastly
I'll tell you that all the English is
still very much around us in the
language we speak and in the popular
culture that we enjoy but we'll start by
answering the question of what old
English is some people associate the
term Old English with William
Shakespeare the famous play rank who
wrote such famous quotes as to be or not
to be that is the question is this a
dagger which I see before me all the
world's a stage
now this connection between William
Shakespeare and Old English is wrong
[Music]
Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1642
in other words Old English is a thousand
years older than Shakespeare and those
famous Shakespearean quotes would have
sounded completely different if they had
been written in Old English told baiana
author net or baiana that is that fine
is this sex very chat fallen Mesirow
I'll say world is Wofford solar clearly
all Dinesh looks and sounds different
from modern English
it has different symbols like the ash
and the thorn
it has different words like frying
rather than question and waffle Solar
rather than stage the pronunciation of
words is different C versus sale world
versus way our old the sentence
structure is different which I see
before me very chat forum is a Oh
it also has grammatical gender and case
that fryin say Oh world versus the
question and the world most of these
features that distinguish Old English
from Shakespeare in English are also
found in other Germanic languages like
Frisian Dutch German and Danish and this
has everything to do with where Old
English comes from so let's discuss the
origins of English this is one of
Lionel's medieval hotspots de birth and
according to some medieval legends the
people who brought English to Britain
set out from this fortification in
Leiden the Netherlands the reason why
Old English has a lot in common with
languages like Frisian Dutch German and
Danish is because the English language
was brought to Britain by Germanic
people who came from the areas where
those languages are now spoken the Low
Countries northern Germany and Southern
Denmark they came to Britain around the
Year 450 and according to their own
legends three tribes the Angles Saxons
and Jutes
collectively often referred to as the
anglo-saxons were led by two brothers
called Hengist and Horsa who set out to
conquer Britain later medieval legends
describe how Hengist and Horsa had a
back-up plan
they built a fortress where they could
retreat to encase their plants invade
Britain would fail this back up castle
was supposed to be located here in
Leiden the bird unfortunetely much of
the story of Hengist and Horsa is a myth
for one Hengist and Horsa themselves may
well have been legendary figures their
names means stallion and horse and they
described as descendants of Odin the
Germanic god furthermore lions birth
dates back to the 11th century I was
there for probably not connected to the
anglo-saxons in other words we may be
dealing with medieval fake news at any
rate no back-up plan turned out to have
been necessary the analyst axons
eventually settled in the area
it's now known as England and all
English had arrived in Britain and it
was there to say the people who spoke
all the English produced an incredible
number of texts including more text
medical recipes magical spells and epic
poetry like the oldest poem Beowulf a
classic of world literature that tells
the epic tale of the hero Beowulf
fighting monsters and fighting a dragon
you may have heard of the poem as it has
been made into a movie over ten times in
other words this early medieval poem
still manages to inspire people today
which brings me to the last part of this
video so let's talk about how you can
still find traces of Old English today
well the last native speaker of Old
English died over 900 years ago Old
English is still very much around us
some of the most common words we use
today for instance derive from Old
English they include words like home
stone it is today word wood there what
will if and and up in other words much
of the core vocabulary of present-day
English is over a thousand years old
all thing that also comes to us through
popular culture especially fantasy
literature many modern authors have been
inspired by medieval language and
literature and they include george RR
martin JK rowling and jr. talking
for instance when JK rowling's harry
potter is brought before the wheezing
gum out Oh jr. talkies Feridun rides up
to Saruman's Isengard
we actually hear all the news words
wheezing gum odd comes from Old English
Wheaton I am old meeting of wise men
failed in' is from old english Theoden a
word meaning king sorrow man is a crafty
man who lives in an iron enclosure and
it's not just names you can actually
hear old english dialogue in modern TV
series set in the Middle Ages like BBC's
Merlin and History Channel's Vikings in
some ways then all English
very much alive even if the language as
we've seen is clearly different from
modern English and with that we've come
to the end of this video a Shakespeare
once wrote all is well that ends well or
as he would have sounded like if he had
with northern gush
a Arliss well that end of well
you
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