Old English as a language was spoken from around 450 AD to around 1100 AD in England. Like all spoken languages, it had its dialects, and it evolved in both vocabulary and form. However, the majority of written Old English is in the West Saxon dialect, and that is the dialect exemplified here.
Standard Pleasantries
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| Old English
|
English
|
| Ƿes þū hāl!/Sīe hal!/Hāl ƿes þū!/Bēo ġesund!
|
Hello
|
| Ƿesaþ hāle/hāla!/Bēoþ gesunde!
|
Hello all
|
| Ƿes þū hāl!
|
Goodbye
|
| Ƿesaþ ġē hāle!
|
Goodbye all
|
| Hū eart þū?/Hū meaht þū?
|
How are you?/How's your health?
|
| Iċ eom ġesund.
|
I am well
|
| And þū/ġit/ġē?
|
And you? (1, 2, many)
|
| Iċ þē þancas dō/Iċ þancie þē/Iċ seċġe þē þancas
|
Thank you (singular)
|
| Iċ ēoƿ þancas dō/Iċ þancie ēoƿ/Iċ seċġe ēoƿ þancas
|
Thank you (plural)
|
| Old English
|
English
|
| Hƿæt hāttest þū/Hƿæt is þīn nama?
|
What is your name?
|
| Mīn nama is Iulius/Iċ hātte Iulius.
|
My name is Julius/I am called Julius.
|
| Hƿanon cōme þū/cōmon ġit/ġē?
|
Where did you come from?
|
| Hƿǣr ƿunast þū?
|
Where do you live?
|
| Iċ ƿunie on hūse.
|
I live in a house.
|
| Hū, neart þū Paula?
|
Aren't you Paula?
|
| Nō Paula, ac Paulan dohtor, iċ eom Maria.
|
Not Paula, but I am Paula's daughter, Maria.
|
| And þū, hƿæt eart þū?
|
And you, who are you?
|
| Iċ eom Paulus.
|
I am Paul.
|
| Eart þu ǣƿfæst oþþe hægsteald?
|
Are you married or single?
|
| Iċ eom ǣƿfæst mann. Ic hæbbe ƿīf.
|
I am (a) married (man). I have wife.
|
| Hƿæt is sē nama þīnes ƿīfes?
|
What is the name of your wife?
|
| Hire nama is Sophia.
|
The name of the wife is Sophia.
|
| Old English
|
English
|
| Hū eald eart þū?
|
How old are you?
|
| Hƿǣr ƿunast þū?/Hƿǣr ƿunastu?
|
Where do you live?
|
| Hū fela ġebrōðra and ġesƿeostra hæfst þū?
|
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
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| Ġēa/Ġese.
|
Yeah/Yes
|
| Nō/Nā/Nese.
|
No.
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| Ġeƿēne/ƿēn is (þæt...)/ƿēnunge.
|
Maybe.
|
| Hū eart þū?/Hū meaht þū?
|
How are you?/How's your health?
|
| Gōd, iċ þancie þē.
|
Fine, thank you.
|
| Neart þū Paula?
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Aren't you Paula?
|
| Nō Paula, ac Paulae dohtor; iċ eom Maria.
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Not Paula, but I am Paula's daughter, Maria.
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| And þū, hƿæt eart þū?
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And you, who are you?
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| Iċ eom Paulus.
|
I am Paul.
|
| Hƿǣr is þæt sēochūs?
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Where is the hospital? (note that "sēochūs" is a new word)
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| Hƿǣr is þæt cachūs/gangærn?
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Where is the outhouse.
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| Ēadiġ ġebyrddæġ sīe þē./Hafa þū ēadiġne ġebyrddæġ.
|
Happy birthday (to you)./Have a happy birthday.
|
