The late 10th century and early 11th century was the Golden Age of Old English literature.  But much of the literature produced during that period was lost to history. Thankfully, a handful of book collectors realized the value of those old books and preserved an important part of the history of English. In this episode, we explore some of the important English texts from this period, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Exeter Book.  We also examine the role of the bookworms and book collectors who preserved the literature of this period.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 58

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

After the defeat of the Vikings in York, England was permanently unified under Wessex leadership. A period of peace and prosperity followed. Under the supervision of a cleric named Dunstan, the churches and monasteries were re-built and a great literary revival soon followed. In this episode, we explore the events which led to that literary renaissance which produced most of the surviving Old English literature. We also look at some of the Latin words which were borrowed after the Benedictine Reform. And we conclude with the development of the standard West Saxon literary dialect which emerged during this period.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 57

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Do you say ‘dived’ or ‘dove’? How about ‘shrank’ or ‘shrunk’? And when do you say ‘hanged’ instead of ‘hung’? We’ll explore the answers to these questions in this episode. The answers lie in the history of the English language – and specifically the distinction between so-called ‘weak’ verbs and ‘strong’ verbs.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 56

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

‘To be or not to be?’ That may be the question. But where did the various forms of our modern verb ‘to be’ come from?  And what about other Shakespearean phrases like ‘he hath,’ and ‘thou shalt,’ and ‘fear not?’ In this episode, we explore the Anglo-Saxon or Viking origins of some of these common verb forms in early Modern English. We also examine the history of the English word ‘not.’

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 55

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Modern English pronouns were largely inherited from the Anglo-Saxons.  While many of them have survived intact, others have changed quite a bit over the centuries. Some disappeared, some new ones were created, and some were even borrowed from the Vikings. This time we explore the history of the English personal pronouns. We also examine the historical roots of the modern confusion surrounding the proper use of English personal pronouns.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 54

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In the 10th century, several factors came together in northern England which resulted in the loss of Old English inflectional endings. This was a fundamental change to English grammar which simplified word forms and led to a fixed a word order. We conclude this episode by examining the plural word forms used in Modern English, and examining how those plural forms evolved in the context of inflectional loss.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 53

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In the mid-900s, the English king battled a grand alliance of Celtic and Viking leaders at a place called Brunanburh.  The result was an Anglo-Saxon victory, and one of the more important poems composed during the Old English period. But the Anglo-Saxon victory did little to secure the region around York. The Viking influence remained strong there, and control of York passed between the English and the Vikings. One consequence of that prominent Viking presence was the continuing flow of Norse words into the northern English dialects. We continue to explore the influence of Scandinavian vocabulary on Modern English.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 52

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

During the 10th century,  the English language spoken in northern and eastern England began to change under the influence of Old Norse.  These changes resulted in a north-south linguistic divide which still exists today.  In this episode we examine how modern linguists use sound changes to identify Norse words in Modern English.  We also examine English-Norse synonyms derived from common Germanic root words.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 51

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In the early 10th century, King Alfred’s children and grandchildren conquered the Viking region known as the Danelaw. This brought all of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms under the rule of a single monarch. That monarch was Aethelstan who became the first King of England.  The conquest of the Danelaw was also a family affair. So we explore the etymology of Modern English words related to family and family relations.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 50

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Following the death of Alfred, there was a decade of relative peace between the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes.  During this period, Scandinavian settlers continued to migrate to the Danelaw.  In this episode, we explore the early Scandinavian influence on English in the Danelaw.  We also examine the continuing Viking raids in France, and the founding of Normandy in the year 911.

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 49

Map Prepared by Louis Henwood (Click Map for Larger Image)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS