Old English/Phrases
Introduction: Introduction - Grammar - Orthography
Parts of speech: Nouns - Verbs - Pronouns - Adjectives - Adverbs - Participles - Gerund - Conjunctions - Prepositions
Basics
The Old English greeting "Wes hāl"
- Hello.
- Wes hāl (singular). (WESS haal) Wesaþ hāle (male)/hāla (female)/hāl (mixed plural) (WES-ath haa-leh/haa-lah/haal)
- How are you?
- Hū gǣþ? (HOO GAYTH?) used as a real question, not a form of greeting."
- Fine, thank you.
- Wel, þancie. (WELL, THAN-kih-eh)
- What is your name?
- Hū hātest þu? / Hwæt is þīn nama? (HOO haat-est thoo? / HWAET iss theen nah-mah?)
- My name is ______ .
- Ic hātte ______ . (itch HAHT-teh)
- Nice to meet you.
- Ēadig, þec tō mētenne. ("AY-diy THETCH TOE MAY-ten-neh")
- Pleased to meet you. ("informal")
- Mē līcode þec tō grētenne. (MAY LEE-koh-deh THETCH TOE GRAY-ten-neh)
- Please.
- Bidde. (BID-deh)
- Thank you.
- Ic þē þancie. (ITCH THAY THAN-ki-eh)
- Thanks.
- Þancas. (THAN-kahs)
- You're welcome.
- Georne! (YOR-neh)
- Yes.
- Gēse. (YEH-zeh)
- No.
- Nese. (NEH-zeh)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Hīerstu. (HIEHR-stoo)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Lāda mec. (LAH-dah METCH)
- I'm sorry.
- Ic besorgie (hit). (itch be-SOR-khi-eh (hit))
- Goodbye
- Bēo gesund. (singular) Bēoþ gē gesunde (male)/gesunda (female)/gesund (mixed). (BAY-oh ye-SOOND, BAY-ohth YAY ye-SOON-deh/ye-SOON-dah/ye-SOOND)
- Goodbye (informal)
- Sīe þu hāl. (SEE-eh thoo haal); Sīen gē hāle (male)/hāla (female)/hāl (mixed). (SEE-eh thoo HAA-leh/HAA-lah/HAAL)
- I can't speak English (well).
- Ic ne cann [wel] Englisce sprecan. (itch ne kann [well] ENG-li-sheh spre-kann)
- Do you speak English?
- Spricst þu / Sprecaþ gē Englisce? (sprikhst thoo / sprekath yay ENG-li-sheh?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Is hēr ǣnig þe Englisce spricþ? (ISS HAIR AY-nee, theh ENG-li-sheh sprikth?)
- Help!
- Help! (HELP!)
- Good morning.
- Gōdne morgen. (GOAD-neh MOR-khen)
- Good evening.
- Gōdne ǣfen. (GOAD-neh AY-ven)
- Good night.
- Ēadigne ǣfen giet. (AY-diy-neh AY-ven yet)
- Good night (to sleep)
- Gōde niht. (GO-deh nisht)
- I don't understand.
- Ic þæt ne undergiete. (itch thaat neh OONDER-YEH-teh)
- Where is the toilet, please?
- Hwǣr is se feltūn, bidde? (HWAIR iss seh fell-toon, BID-deh?)
Common Phrases
- gedǣlan acc wiþ w.d. - to separate from; ~ wiþ w.a. - to avoid, separate from
- hē sceole wiþ þǣm līchaman hine gedǣlan he must separate himself from the body
- Ne mæg mīn līchama wiþ dēaþ gedǣlan my body cannot separate itself (avoid) death
- gefrēogan acc. wiþ w.a. - to free s.o. from s.t.
Comparison Phrases
- bemetan tō - to compare s.t. to s.t.
- gesettan wiþ w.d. - to compare s.t. with s.t.
- getellan wiþ w.d. - to compare one amount with another
- metan - to compare; ~ wiþ to compare with; ~ tō/be w.d. - to compare to
Legal Phrases
- gelādian w.a. - to clear, vindicate, excuse
- gelādian wiþ w.a. - to vindicate towards s.o.
Other Phrases
- geweorðan w.d. wiþ w.d. to agree on
- þā gewearþ þǣm hlāforde and þǣm hȳrigmannum wiþ ānum penninge then the lord and the laborers agreed on a penny
War Phrases
- friðian wiþ w.a. - to make peace with s.o.
- gecampian wiþ w.a. - to fight with s.o.
- gefeohtan wiþ w.a. - to fight with s.o.
- genǣstan wiþ w.d. - to contend against s.o.
- generian w.a. wiþ w.d. - to protect s.o. against s.t.