Old English / Beowulf

1. When was Old English spoken?

Old English was spoken between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century.

2. Name 4 language groups which influenced the development of Old English.

Old English was influenced by Latin, Germanic, Norse and Celtic.

3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.
- There were only 6 diphthongs in Old English while in Modern English there are 8.

- There were 14 vowels in Old English while in Modern English there are 12.

- The consonant /ʒ/ wasn’t used in Old English but in Modern English is palatal and fricative.

- The front mid rounded vowels /ø(ː)/ occur in some dialects of Old English.

- In Old English the consonant /w/ was Velar and Aproximant while in Moder English is Bilabial and Aproximant.

4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.
The word order in sentences and questions from Old English are the same word order that we use in Modern English.

5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?

There are 34 letters (runes) in the alphabet.

6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?

The epic poem was Beowulf.

7. In the See Also section, click on: Beowulf. Appoximately when was Beowulf written?

Beowulf was written appoximately between the 8th and the early 11th century.

8. Even though Beowulf was written in England, the story takes place in which countries?

The story takes place in Denmark and Sweden.

9. In the poem, which 3 antagonists does Beowulf battle or fight against?
Grendel / Grendel's mother / An unnamed Dragon

10. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the story?

He is fatally wounded after the final battle against the dragon and dies.

11. Who was the author of Beowulf?

The author is unknown, an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet.

12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf?

Beowulf (1999) and Beowulf (2007).