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 about it:
Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, Beowulf, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, genesis,
Exodus, Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Pastoral Care (Cura Pastoralis).
3. Study the OE Alphabet and its Pronunciation.
A

b
c [k] or [k]
d
e
f [f] or [v]
3 [g], [g], [] or [j]
h [x], [x] or [h]
i
l
m

The OE Alphabet
n [n] or []
o
p
r
s [s] or [z]
t
, [] or []
u
w
x
y [y]

4. Explain the rules of reading:

f

OE ofer [over]
selfa [selva]
rsan [ri:zan]

s
,
3

NE over
self
rise

o er [o er]
wyr e [wyr e]
3n [gan]
da3as [da as]

other
worthy
go
days

OE feohtan [feohtan]
oft [oft]
rs [ra:s]
3st [ga:st]
t [ t]
lo [leo: ]
3ar [jear]
sec3an [seggan]

NE fight
often
rose
ghost
that
song
year
say

5. Study the following text, read it and account for pronunciation of the underlined letters.
hthere sde his hlforde lfrde
[o:xthere s:de his xla:vorde lfre:de]
Ohthere said (to) his lord Alfred
Cynin3e t h ealra Normanna normest
[kynige t he: ealra nor ,manna nor ,mest ]
King that he (of) all Northmen to the North
Bde fr he 3iet norryhte
[bu:de a: fo:r he: jiet nor ,ryxte]
Lived (had lived). Then sailed he yet (farther) northwards

Sw feor sw h meahte on m
[swa: feor swa: he: meaxte on :m]
As far as he might (could) in the
rum rm da3um 3esi3lan
[o:rum ri:m daum jesilan]
Other three days sail.