Old English/Phrases

Introduction: Introduction - Grammar - Orthography - I-mutation
Grammar: Nouns - Pronouns - Articles - Adjectives - Numbers - Verbs - Participles - Adverbs - Conjunctions - Prepositions - Interjections - Appositives - Word Formation -

---

Basics

The Old English greeting "Ƿes hāl"

Hello.

Ƿes hāl (singular). (WESS haal)

How are you?

Hū ᵹǣþ? (HOO GATH?) used as a real question, not a form of greeting.": eart þū? (HOO E-art ThOO

well, thank you.

ƿel, þancie þē

What is your name?

Hū hǣtst þū? / Hƿæt is þīn nama? (HOO haat-st thoo? / HWAET iss theen nah-mah?)

My name is ______ .

Iċ hātte ______ . (itch HAHT-teh)

Nice to meet you.

Ēadiᵹ, þeċ tō mētenne. ("AY-diy THETCH TOE MAY-ten-neh")

Pleased to meet you. ("informal")

Mē līcode þeċ tō ᵹrētenne. (MAY LEE-koh-deh THETCH TOE GRAY-ten-neh)

Please.

Āblissian. (Aa-bliS-SEE-an)

Thank you.

Iċ þē þancie.

Thanks.

Þancas. (THAN-kahs)

You're welcome.

Ġeorne! (YER-ne!)

Yes.

Ġēse. (YEH-zeh)

Yeah.

Ġeā. (Yea"")

No.

Nese. (NEH-zeh)

Excuse me. (getting attention)

Hīerstu. (HIEHR-stoo)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

Lāda meċ. (LAH-dah METCH)

I'm sorry.

Iċ besorᵹie (hit). (itch be-SOR-khi-eh (hit))

Goodbye

Bēo ᵹesund. (singular) Bēoþ gē ᵹesunde (male)/ᵹesunda (female)/ᵹesund (mixed). (BAY-oh ye-SOOND, BAY-ohth YAY ye-SOON-deh/ye-SOON-dah/ye-SOOND)

Goodbye (informal)

Sīe þū hāl. (SEE-eh thoo haal); Sīen ᵹē hāle (male)/hāla (female)/hāl (mixed). (SEE-eh thoo HAA-leh/HAA-lah/HAAL)

I can't speak English (well).

Iċ ne mæᵹ [ ƿel ] Enᵹlisce sprecan. (itch ne Maa-ee [well] ENG-li-sheh spre-kann)

Do you speak English?

Spricst þū / Sprecaþ ᵹē Englisce? (sprikhst thoo / sprekath yay ENG-li-sheh?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Is hēr ǣniᵹ þe Enᵹlisce spricþ? (ISS HAIR AY-nee, theh ENG-li-sheh sprikth?)

Help!

Help! (HELP!)

Good morning.

Gōdne morᵹen. (GOAD-neh MOR-khen)

Good afternoon.

Gōde ofernōn. (GOA-DE O-VER-Na-O-n)

Good evening.

Gōdne ǣfen. (GOAD-neh AY-ven)

Good night.

Ēadiᵹne ǣfen ᵹiet. (AY-diy-neh AY-ven yet)

Good night (to sleep)

Gōde niht. (GO-deh nisht)

I don't understand.

Iċ þæt ne underᵹiete. (itch thaat neh OONDER-YEH-teh)

Where is the toilet, please?

Hƿǣr is se feltūn, bidde? (HWAIR iss seh fell-toon, BID-deh?)

Common Phrases

• ᵹedǣlan acc ƿiþ w.d. - to separate from; ~ ƿiþ w.a. - to avoid, separate from
  • hē sceole ƿiþ þǣm līchaman hine ᵹedǣlan he must separate himself from the body
  • Ne mæᵹ mīn līchama ƿiþ dēaþ ᵹedǣlan my body cannot separate itself (avoid) death
• ᵹefrēoᵹan acc. ƿiþ w.a. - to free s.o. from s.t.

Comparison Phrases

• bemetan tō - to compare s.t. to s.t.
• ᵹesettan ƿiþ w.d. - to compare s.t. with s.t.
• ᵹetellan ƿiþ w.d. - to compare one amount with another
• metan - to compare; ~ ƿiþ to compare with; ~ tō/be w.d. - to compare to

Legal Phrases

• ᵹelādian w.a. - to clear, vindicate, excuse
• ᵹelādian ƿiþ w.a. - to vindicate towards s.o.

Movement Phrases

• ᵹetenᵹan ƿiþ w.g. - to hasten towards s.o./s.t.
• Iċ þearf ᵹān... - I need to go...
• Iċ sceal ᵹān... - I shall go...

Other Phrases

• ᵹeƿeorðan w.d. ƿiþ w.d. to agree on
  • þā ᵹeƿearþ þǣm hlāforde and þǣm hȳriᵹmannum ƿiþ ānum penninᵹe then the lord and the laborers agreed on a penny

Religious Phrases

• ᵹefremman synne ƿiþ w.a. - to commit a sin against s.o.

War Phrases

• friðian ƿiþ w.acc. - to make peace with s.o.
• ᵹecampian ƿiþ w.acc. - to fight with s.o.
• ᵹefeohtan ƿiþ w.acc. - to fight with s.o.
• ᵹenǣstan ƿiþ w.dat. - to contend against s.o.
• ᵹenerian w.a. ƿiþ w.dat. - to protect s.o. against s.t.