ENGL 202
Prof. G. Steinberg
Old English

Translate the following passage from Old English into Modern English, paying special attention to the inflections on the nouns and articles.

In þam tune wæron þæt hus and þæt bur þæs eorles.  Þær druncon he and his ymbsittendas þæt win.  He word sægde to his folce:  “Nimað ge þa sweord and þa garas.”  Geongan eorlas hæfdon seolfor and gold, and bohton þa seax and þa helmas.  Læddon hie hira freondas to hira hamum.

Answer the following questions about the passage.

1. Why does the word “tun” have an “e” at the end of it in the first sentence?

2. What case is “win” in the second sentence?

3. Why does the word “folc” have an “e” at the end of it in the third sentence?

4. Is “seax” in the second-to-last sentence singular or plural?  How do you know?

5. Why does “ham” end in “um” in the last sentence?

Translate the following passage from Old English into Modern English, paying special attention to the inflections on the nouns and articles.

Se hlaford, þe on his earmum hringas hæfde, dælde to folce þæt gold fram ðam horde.  Þæt fyr bærnde, ond þa sweord ond þa seax scinon þær hie hengon on þæm wealle þæs huses.  Se scop sang þæt leoð.  Þær wæs sang ond þæt giedd.

Answer the following questions about the passage.

1. Why does the word “earm” in the first sentence end with “um”?

2. Why do “folc” and “hord” in the first sentence both have “e” at the end?

3. In the second sentence, are “sweord”and “seax” singular or plural?  How do you know?

4. What case is “huses” in the second sentence?

Translate the following passage from Old English into Modern English, paying special attention to the inflections on the nouns and articles.

Heofona rice is geworden þam menn gelic þe seow god sæd on his æcere.  Soþlice þa þa menn slepon, þa com his feonda sum and oferseow hit mid coccele on middum þam hwæte and ferde þanon.  Soþlice þa seo wyrt weox ond þone wæstm brohte, þa atiewde se coccel hine.  Þa eodon þæs hlafordes þeowas ond cwædon, “Hlaford, hu ne seowe þu god sæd on þinum æcere?  Hwanon hæfde he coccel?”  Þa cwæþ he, “Þæt dyde unhold monn.”  Þa cwædon þa þeowas, “Wilt þu we gað and gaderiað hie?”  Þa cwæð he, “Nese, þe læs ge þone hwæte awurtwalien þonne ge þone coccel gaderiaþ.  Lætað ægþer weaxan oð riptiman; ond on þam riptiman ic secge þam riperum, ‘Gaderiaþ ærest þone coccel, ond bindaþ sceafmælum to forbærnenne; ond gaderiaþ ðone hwæte into minum berne.’”

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