The OE Alphabet and Written Records

Seminar No. 2
1. State the OE manuscripts. What is their role for the development of the English
language?
2. Choose one of the following written records and speak aout it!
Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, Beowulf, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, genesis,
Exodus, Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Pastoral Care (Cura Pastoralis!
". Stud# the OE $lphaet and its %ronunciation.
The OE Alphabet
$ n &n' or &('
) o
p
c &k' or &k*' r
d s &s' or &+'
e t
f &f' or &v' ,- . &.' or &/'
" &g'- &g*'- &0' or &1' u
h &2'- &2*' or &h' w
i 2
l # &#'
m
3. E2plain the rules of reading!
f OE ofer &4over' NE o"er OE feohtan &4feohtan' NE fight
selfa &4selva' self oft &oft' often
s r#san &ri!+an' rise r$s &ra!s' rose
%$st &ga!st' ghost
, o &er &4o .er' other & 't &/ )t' that
w(r )e &4w#r .e' worth( l*o ) &leo! /' +song,
3 %$n &gan' go %*ar &1ear' (ear
da%as &da 0as' da(s sec%an &seggan' sa(
5. Stud# the following te2t- read it and account for pronunciation of the underlined letters.
6hthere s7de his hl8forde 9lfr:de
&4o!2there 4s7!de his 42la!vorde 47lfre!de'
-.hthere said (to his lord Alfred
C#nin"e ,)t h: ealra Nor.manna nor,mest
&4k#ni(ge /7t he! 4ealra 4nor/ -manna 4nor -/mest '
/ing that he (of all 0orthmen to the 0orth
;<de = ,8 f>r he "iet nor,r#hte
&4u!de /a! fo!r he! 1iet 4nor/ -r#2*te'
1i"ed (had li"ed! Then sailed he (et (farther northwards
Sw8 feor sw8 h: meahte on ,7m
&swa! feor swa! he! 4mea2te on /7!m'
As far as he might (could in the
6,rum ,r?m da"um "esi"lan
&o!.rum /ri!m 4da0um 1e*si0lan'
.ther three da(s sail2!