A Brief History of Old English Literature
Словарь:
1) Aelfric [ˈælfrɪk] - Элфрик; Эльфрик
2) Alfred ['ælfrɪd] - Альфред
3) alliteration [ə'lɪtə'reɪʃ(ə)n] n - аллитерация; аллитерирование
4) alliterative [ə'lɪt(ə)rətɪv] adj. - повторение согласных звуков с целью усиления выразительности речи
5) Anglo-Saxon ['æŋgləu'sæks(ə)n] - англосаксонец; англичанин (чистокровный); англосакс; житель англоязычного
государства; англосакский язык
6) anonymous [ə'nɔnɪməs] adj. - анонимный; безымянный
7) Bede [biːd] - Беда Достопочтенный
8) Beowulf [ˈbeɪəwʊlf] – Беовульф
9) Caedmon (Cædmon) (ˈkædmən, ˈkædmɒn) – Кэдмон
10) Celtic ['keltɪk, 'seltɪk] adj. - кельтский язык; кельтский
11) conquer ['kɔŋkə] n - завоевать; побеждать
12) credit ['kredɪt] v - приписывать; указывать имя; указывать обладателя авторских прав
13) Cynewulf [ˈkɪniwʊlf] - Кюневульф
14) ecclesiastical [ɪ'kli:zɪ'æstɪk(ə)l] n- духовные ценности
15) enrich[ɪn'rɪʧ] v- обогащать; пополнить; расширять
16) epic ['epɪk] n- эпическая поэма
17) figure [ˈfɪgə] – фигура; человек; персона
18) Gaelic ['geɪlɪk] adj. - гэльский; гаэльский; гэльский язык
19) homily ['hɔmɪlɪ] n - нотация; проповедь; поучение
20) hymn [hɪm] n - церковный гимн; псалом; хвалебная песня; прославление; псалмы
21) invasion [ɪn'veɪʒ(ə)n] n - вторжение; нашествие
22) isle [aɪl] n - остров
23) Latin ['lætɪn] n - латинский язык; латынь
24) Old English ['əuld'ɪŋglɪʃ] - староанглийский; древнеанглийский язык
25) pagan ['peɪgən] adj. - языческий
26) rhyme [raɪm] n - рифмованный стих; рифма
27) Romans ['rəumənz] n - римляне
28) Scots [skɔts] n- англо-шотландский язык; шотландский диалект; шотландский язык
29) Welsh [welʃ] n - валлийский, уэльский язык
30) Widsith [wɪdsɪɵ] – Видсид
The first languages we know about in the British Isles are the Celtic ones like Welsh and Scots Gaelic.
These people probably settled here more than 2500 years ago. English still has some borrowed Celtic words
like corgi meaning 'little dog' from Welsh or whisky 'water of life' from Gaelic.
In 55BC there was an invasion by the Romans who spoke Latin. They gave Latin names to places and
some of these names are still used today. For instance any place name containing 'chester' is derived from the
Roman name for that place. It comes from their word for 'camp'.
The first people who spoke the language which over time turned itself into English conquered England
in about the year 450. These people were known as Anglo-Saxon and their language is also often called AngloSaxon or Old English. Many words from this time are still around in English: cow, house, bread and sword.
Many of the poems of the period are pagan, in particular ‘Widsith’ and ‘Beowulf’.
The greatest English poem, Beowulf is the first English epic. The author of Beowulf is anonymous.
Two important figures in Old English poetry are Cynewulf and Caedmon. Cynewulf wrote religious
poems which are credited with him. Caedmon (Cædmon) is the earliest English poet whose name is known. He
is famous for his ‘Hymn’
Alfred enriched Old English prose with his translations especially Bede’s ‘Ecclesiastical History’
Aelfric is another important prose writer during Old English period. He is famous for his ‘Grammar’,
‘Homilies’ and ‘Lives of the Saints’. Aelfric’s prose is natural and easy and is very often alliterative.
So, the Old English language or Anglo-Saxon is the earliest form of English spoken from about A.D.
600 to about 1100. The difficulty encountered in reading Old English Literature lies in the fact that the
language is very different from that of today. There was no rhyme in Old English poems. Instead they used
alliteration.