A Guide to Old English A Guide A Guide to Old English Eighth Edition PDF

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A Guide to Old English Eighth Edition Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson Eighth Edition A GUIDE TO OLD ENGLISH A GUIDE TO OLD ENGLISH EIGHTH EDITION Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication This eighth edition first published 2012 © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Lt...

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“Mitchell and Robinson’s A Guide to Old English, now available in its eighth edition, is an invaluable resource for teaching and delighting students of Old English. It is unsurpassed in its combination of a meticulously scholarly approach with a wide-ranging selection of Old English texts. The authors’ enthusiasm for the subject is evident on every page and carries the reader with it.” Susan Irvine, University College London

Fred C. Robinson is Douglas Tracy Smith Professor Emeritus at Yale University. He is a Fellow and past President of the Medieval Academy of America, and has received many honors. He has written extensively on Beowulf, Old English, and English and American literature and language of all periods.

A Guide to Old English

A Guide to Old English is a detailed but accessible introduction to the Old English language for beginners. The language section offers a simple yet comprehensive language reference, including sections on orthography and pronunciation, inflexions, word formation, and syntax. The guide then provides an anthology of the best Old English literary works, with explanatory notes and a detailed glossary, which has been arranged carefully from the simplest texts to the more challenging, to facilitate students’ language development.

Mitchell and Robinson

A Guide to Old English

Cover image: Anglo-Saxon gold belt buckle from the ship-burial at Sutton Hoo, early 7th century AD. © The Trustees of the British Museum, London. Photograph © Erich Lessing / AKG images

Eighth Edition

Whilst retaining many of the elements of previous editions, which have made it so attractive to teachers and students of Old English for over 50 years, the eighth edition of the Guide has been updated in response to feedback from users to include the following additions: • a facsimile of the manuscript page from the beginning of Beowulf • the first 25 lines of Beowulf, with an exceptionally detailed set of annotations aimed at preparing the student for a thorough study of the poem • an explanation of Grimm’s and Verner’s Laws • text revisions throughout to make the Guide as accessible as possible for undergraduate readers The book also offers a discussion of Anglo-Saxon literature, history, and culture, and a bibliography directing readers to useful publications on the subject. Altogether, this is a comprehensive introduction to Old English, combining simple, clear philology with the best literary works to provide a compelling and accessible beginners’ guide. Bruce Mitchell is late Fellow Emeritus of St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford.

Cover design by Richard Boxall Design Associates

ISBN 978-0-470-67107-8

A Guide to Old English Eighth Edition

Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson

A GUIDE TO OLD ENGLISH

A GUIDE TO OLD ENGLISH EIGHTH EDITION

Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson

A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication

This eighth edition first published 2012 © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Edition History: Bruce Mitchell (1e, 1964 and 2e, 1968); Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson (3e, 1982; 4e, 1986; 5e, 1992; 6e, 2001; and 7e, 2007) Wiley-Blackwell is an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, formed by the merger of Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing. Registered Office John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK Editorial Offices 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services, and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell. The right of Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson to be identified as the authors has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mitchell, Bruce, 1920-2010. A guide to old English / Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson. — 8th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-67107-8 (pbk.) 1. English language—Old English, ca. 450-1100—Grammar. 2. English language— Old English, ca. 450-1100—Readers. 3. English philology—Old English, ca. 450-1100— Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Robinson, Fred C. II. Title. PE131.M5 2011 429′.82421—dc23 2011026041 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDFs 9781119950264; ePub 9781119950271; Mobi 9781119950288 Set in 10.5/12pt Ehrhardt by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong 1 2012

In Memoriam DONOVAN F. MITCHELL AND

IRENE K. MITCHELL

Foreword to the Eighth Edition Sadly, this is the first edition of The Guide in which Bruce Mitchell, who died in January 2010, has had no part. After Mitchell’s death Fred Robinson was invited by the editors of Blackwell Publishing to prepare an eighth revised edition. In preparing this edition I have made a complete review of all parts of the book with an eye to clarifying and sharpening our phrasing and updating the contents in all discussions of both grammar and texts. In addition, two new features have been added: the first twenty-five lines of Beowulf have been introduced to the selections from that poem (text number 18), and these lines have been provided with an exceptionally detailed commentary dealing with the language, style, and content of the poem. This addition has been made in response to readers’ request that The Guide provide students with a full and detailed introduction to the poem that in most colleges and universities is taken up in a course following the introductory course in Old English. A second addition is Appendix F, which provides a brief but fairly comprehensive account of the First Consonant Shift (‘Grimm’s and Verner’s Laws’) to which we make allusion in §§105–109 but without spelling out just what these consonant shifts were. A special feature of The Guide ever since the First Edition has been the detailed explanation of OE syntax (§§139–214). Occasional reference is made elsewhere in The Guide to specific passages in the discussion of syntax, and these passages should be helpful to students. But most teachers do not assign the entire fifty-odd pages on syntax to beginning students, these pages being directed to the more advanced student of OE. To the more advanced student and to Old English scholars in general the discussion of syntax can be quite useful, and so I am retaining it in this edition. In preparing this Eighth Edition I have received valuable advice and assistance from several colleagues, including Traugott Lawler, Roberta Frank, J. R. Hall, and Theodore Leinbaugh. I am most grateful for their help. Eight anonymous readers enlisted by the publisher have also provided very helpful insights and suggestions. And, as always, I am indebted to Alfred Bammesberger for his brilliant textual studies.

This map, which does not represent any particular moment in time, contains some basic details with the addition of the more important sites mentioned in this book. Further information can be sought from the map and the accompanying material on pp. 729–34 of F. M. Stenton’s Anglo-Saxon England (§188).

Lindisfarne

Danish settlement in the ninth century

Yeavering

Bamburgh

BERNICIA Ruthwell

Jarrow Monkwearmouth Durham Escomb

NO RT

Carlisle

HU

Whitby

MB

Isle of Man

DEIRA

RIA

R. Humber

Leeds

R. Trent

Flixborough

Anglesey Chester

Gwynedd Derby

Powys

Lincoln

Nottingham Repton Stamford Peterborough

Lichfield Leicester

Norwich

MERCIA

Selw (Sea ood lwud u)

er n ev

MIDDLE Ely EAST Dunwich ANGLES ANGLIA Cambridge Sutton Hoo Hereford Worcester Earl’s Barton R. W ye St Deerhurst Albans EAST Maldon Oxford MIDDLE Langford SAXONS SAXONS Dorchester London Bath Malmesbury R. Thames Rochester KENT Cheddar WESSEX Guildford Surrey The Weald Canterbury Winchester Athelney (Andredesweald) SOUTH SAXONS Romsey Exeter Hastings Dyke

WEST WALES

S R.

Offa’s

NORTH WALES

Dyfed

Stamford Bridge York

Isle of Wight

Anglo -Saxon England

0

50 miles

0

80 km

Contents Foreword to the Eighth Edition Map of Anglo-Saxon England Abbreviations and Symbols How to Use this Guide

vi vii xv 1

PART ONE

1

Preliminary Remarks on the Language (§§1–4)

11

2

Orthography and Pronunciation (§§5–9) i Orthography (§5) ii Stress (§6) iii Vowels (§7) iv Diphthongs (§8) v Consonants (§9)

13 13 13 14 14 15

3

Inflexions (§§10 –135) Introduction (§§10 –14) i Pronouns (§§15–21) ii Nouns and Sound-Changes Relevant to Them (§§22–62)

17 17 18 20 20 20 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 31 31 32 33

Weak Nouns (§§22–25) Some Technical Terms (§§26–32) Strong Nouns like stan (masc.) and scip (neut.) (§§33–44) Masculine and Neuter Nouns in -e (§§45–46) Strong Feminine Nouns (§§47–51) i-Mutation (§§52–57) Nouns Affected by i-Mutation (§§58–60) u-Nouns (§§61–62)

iii Adjectives (§§63– 76) Introduction (§§63 – 64) Weak Declension (§65) Strong Declension (§§66 – 67) Stem Changes in Adjectives (§§68 – 73) Comparison of Adjectives (§§74– 76)

x

Contents iv Observations on Noun, Adjective, and Pronoun Declensions (§§77–81) v Numerals (§§82–86) vi Strong Verbs and Sound-Changes Relevant to Them (§§87–114) Introduction (§§87–89) Principal Parts of the Strong Verbs (§§90–95) Breaking (§§96 –99) Influence of Initial i, sc, h (§100) Influence of Nasals (§101) Summary of the Strong Verbs of Class III (§102) The Effects of Sound-Changes on Other Strong Verbs (§103) Strong Verbs of Class VII (§104) Grimm’s Law and Verner’s Law (§§105–109) Conjugation of the Strong Verb (§§110 –114)

vii Weak Verbs and Sound-Changes Relevant to Them (§§115–126) Introduction (§115) Class 1 (§§116 –123) Class 2 (§§124–125) Class 3 (§126)

viii Anomalous Verbs (§§127–130) Bbon (§127) Ddn and gan (§128) Willan (§129) Preterite-Present Verbs (§130)

ix Is a Verb Strong or Weak? To which Class does it Belong? (§§131–134) x Adverbs (§135) Formation (§135) Comparison (§135)

4

Word Formation (§§136 –138) Introduction (§136) i Compounding (§137) ii The Addition of Affixes (§138) Prefixes (§138) Suffixes (§138)

5

Syntax (§§139–214) Introduction (§§139 –142) i Word-Order (§§143–147) ii Sentence Structure (§§148–153)

34 34 35 35 36 38 39 40 40 40 41 41 43 46 46 46 49 50 51 51 51 52 52 53 54 54 54 55 55 56 57 58 59 61 61 63 66

Contents Recapitulation and Anticipation (§148) The Splitting of Heavy Groups (§149) Correlation (§§150 –153)

iii Noun Clauses (§§154–161) Introduction (§154) Dependent Statements and Desires (§§155–156) Dependent Questions (§§157–160) The Accusative and Infinitive (§161)

iv Adjective Clauses (§§162–165) Definite Adjective Clauses (§§162–163) Indefinite Adjective Clauses (§164) Mood (§165)

v Adverb Clauses (§§166 –181) Introduction (§§166–167) Non-Prepositional Conjunctions (§168) Prepositional Conjunctions (§§169 –171) An Exercise in Analysis (§172) Clauses of Place (§173) Clauses of Time (§174) Clauses of Purpose and Result (§175) Causal Clauses (§176) Clauses of Comparison (§177) Clauses of Concession (§178) Clauses of Condition (§179) Adverb Clauses Expressing Other Relationships (§180) Other Ways of Expressing Adverbial Relationships (§181)

vi Parataxis (§§182–186) Introduction (§§182–183) List of Conjunctions and Adverbs Commonly Used (§184) Parataxis without Conjunctions (§185) Some Special Idioms (§186)

vii Concord (§187) 1. Nouns, Pronouns and their Modifiers (§187) 2. Pronouns and their Antecedents (§187) 3. Subject and Verb (§187)

viii The Uses of the Cases (§§188–192) Nominative (§188) Accusative (§189) Genitive (§190) Dative (§191) Instrumental (§192)

ix Articles, Pronouns, and Numerals (§§193–194) Articles and Pronouns (§193) Numerals (§194)

xi 66 67 68 70 70 70 72 75 75 75 79 80 81 81 83 83 86 87 88 89 89 89 90 91 92 93 93 93 94 96 96 97 97 97 98 98 98 99 99 99 100 100 100 101

xii

Contents x Verbs (§§195–212) The Uses of the Present and Preterite Tenses (§§195–198) The Resolved Tenses (§§199–204) Introduction (§199) The Verb ‘to have’ as an Auxiliary (§200) The Verb ‘to be’ as an Auxiliary of Tense (§201) The Passive (§§202–203) Other Uses of the Present and Past Participles (§204) The Uses of the Infinitives (§205) The ‘Modal’ Auxiliaries (§§206 –211) Introduction (§206) Magan (§207) *Mdtan (§208) Cunnan (§209) *Sculan (§210) Willan (§211) Impersonal Verbs (§212)

xi Prepositions (§§213–214) List of Prepositions (§214) 6

An Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Studies (§§215 – 251) i Some Significant Dates (§§215– 216) ii History (§§217 – 218) iii Archaeology (§§219 – 230) Introduction (§219) List of Abbreviated Titles (§220) Weapons and Warfare (§221) Life and Dress (§222) Architecture and Buildings (§§223– 224) Sculpture and Carving (§225) Jewellery and Metalwork (§226) Embroidery (§227) Coins (§228) Manuscripts and Runic Inscriptions (§229) The Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial (§230)

iv Language (§§231–235) Changes in English (§231) The Danish Invasions (§232) The Norman Conquest (§233) Vocabulary (§234) Some Questions (§235)

v Literature (§§236 – 251) Introduction (§§236–246) Poetry (§§247–249) Prose (§§250–251)

101 101 103 103 103 104 104 105 105 106 106 107 107 108 108 108 109 109 110 111 111 111 117 117 118 120 120 121 122 123 123 124 124 124 125 125 126 127 127 128 128 128 134 135

Contents 7

xiii

General (§252) Chapter 1 Preliminary Remarks on the Language (§253) Chapter 2 Orthography and Pronunciation (§254) Chapter 3 Inflexions (§254) Chapter 4 Word Formation (§255) Chapter 5 Syntax (§256) Chapter 6 Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Studies (§§257–269) History (§257) Archaeology (§258) Language (§§259 –261) History of English Prose (§259) Vocabulary (§§260 –261) Word Formation Changes of Meaning (§260) Borrowings (§261) Literature (§§262–269) Topics Raised in §§236 –246 (§262) General Criticism (§263) Poetry Texts (§264) Appreciation of the Poetry (§265) The Use of Oral Formulae (§266) Metre (§267) Prose Texts (§268) Sources (§269)

137 137 137 138 138 138 138 139 139 139 140 140 140 140 140 140 141 141 141 141 143 143 143 144 144

Strong Verbs Some Effects of i-Mutation Metre List of Linguistic Terms Used in this Book The Moods of Old English Grimm’s and Verner’s Laws

146 154 156 163 174 175

Select Bibliography (§§252–269)

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F

PART TWO: PROSE AND VERSE TEXTS

1 2

Practice Sentences Two Old Testament Pieces The Fall of Man Abraham and Isaac

3 4

A Colloquy on the Occupations Two Characteristic Prose Works by Ælfric Preface to Genesis St. Edmund, King and Martyr

5

Alfred the Great’s Preface to his Translation of Gregory’s Pastoral Care

179 181 182 186 190 198 198 203 212

xiv

Contents

6 Cynewulf and Cyneheard 7 Selections from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 8 Bede’s Account of the Conversion of King Edwin 9 Bede’s Account of the Poet Cædmon 10 The Goths and Boethius: Prose and Verse from the Introduction to King Alfred’s Boethius Translation 11 (a)–(p) Riddles 12 The Battle of Maldon 13 The Ruin 14 The Dream of the Rood 15 The Wife’s Lament 16 The Wanderer 17 The Seafarer 18 Four excerpts from Beowulf Prologue (a) Beowulf ’s Fight with Grendel (b) Beowulf Consoles Hrothgar for Æschere’s Death (c) The Lament of the Last Survivor (d ) Beowulf ’s Funeral 19 Wulf and Eadwacer 20 Judith 21 Cotton Gnomes or Maxims 22 Sermo Lupi ad Anglos

216 220 224 228

Glossary Indexes to Part One

337 418 418 422

Index of Subjects Index of Words

234 239 249 261 264 272 276 284 291 294 296 303 306 307 309 312 325 329

Abbreviations and Symbols LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS

Gmc. Germanic nWS non-West-Saxon IE Indo-European OE Old English Lat. Latin OHG Old High German ME Middle English WS West-Saxon MnE Modern English Before the name of a language or dialect e = Early l = Late Pr = Primitive GRAMMATICAL TERMS

acc. accusative pass. adj. adjective p.d. adv. adverb pers. compar. comparative pl. conj. conjunction poss. cons. consonant prep. dat. dative pres. dem. demonstrative pret. fem. feminine pret.-pres. gen. genitive pron. imp. imperative ptc. ind. indicative s. inf. infinitive sg. infl. inflected st. inst. instrumental subj. masc. masculine superl. neut. neuter v. nom. nominative wk. o. object ‘s’ may be added where appropriate to form a plural.

passive see §100 person plural possessive preposition present preterite preterite-present pronoun participle subject singular strong subjunctive superlative verb weak

xvi

Abbreviations and Symbols SYMBOLS

> < *

L O R LO JK] []

became came from this precedes a form which is not recorded. Usually it is a form which probably once existed and which scholars reconstruct to explain the stages in sound-changes; see §103.3. Sometimes it is a form which certainly never existed but which is invented to show that one sound-change preceded another. An example is hierfan in §100, note. over a letter denotes a long vowel or diphthong. over a letter denotes a short vowel or diphthong. means ‘short and long’, e.g. q in §100. in §41 denote a long and short syllable respectively. denote respectively a syllable carrying full, secondary, or no, stress. enclose phonetic symbols.

How to Use this Guide This section is particularly addressed to those of you who are working without a teacher. THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AND PARSING

The ability to recognize forms in the texts you are reading and an awareness of the basic structure of Old English are far more important than a parrot knowledge of the paradigms. Hence, from the beginning, you must get into the habit of analysing and thoroughly understanding each form you meet in your texts. Important in the reading of OE...