From Beowulf to Hamlet – crossword and quiz
1 Crossword
Do you remember these 40 words from the text? And can you spell them correctly?
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Across
Down
4 bonde
1 blande seg med
6 språk
2 handelsmann
8 slektning
3 å angripe
10 keltisk
5 å overleve
11 variant
7 slå seg ned
13 høflighet
9 en stamme
15 slått ut
12 oppfinnelse
17 smelte sammen
14 fantasi
20 gjenkjenne
15 å forsvinne
21 å uttale
16 tropper
23 hoff
18 å forbli
24 uttale
19 adel
25 å utviske
21 gjennomgripende
26 suverenitet
22 uformell
29 dømt
24 forgjenger
32 angriper
27 seier
33 erobreren
28 århundre
35 ridder
30 pilegrim
36 14 dager
31 å beholde
37 å innvilge
34 å herje
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Key
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2 Put the sentences in the right order to make a coherent text.
Before you start:
The first sentence is usually a sentence which introduces the topic of the text in a general way. The
second sentence takes one thing from the introductory sentence and expands upon it. From then on
you have to make sure the text becomes coherent: that the different sentences fit together in a
logical way and that words like "but" and "however" make sense in the context. Also make sure that
words that "these", "those", "this" and "that" really refer back to the correct words in the previous
sentence.
TEXT
But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into what is
now Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language.
The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who
invaded Britain during the 5th century AD.
The Angles came from Englaland and their language was called Englisc - from which the words
England and English are derived.
These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is
Denmark and northern Germany.
Suggestion:
The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who
invaded Britain during the 5th century AD.
These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is
Denmark and northern Germany.
At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language.
But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders - mainly into what is
now Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
The Angles came from Englaland and their language was called Englisc - from which the words
England and English are derived.
You can find this short text and more about the history of the English language at this website:
http://www.englishclub.com. [http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm]
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2 QUIZ
Prepare for the quiz at this website: http://www.englishclub.com.
[http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm]
Tick off the correct answer(s). There might be more than one correct answer to each question.
[Tilbakemeldinger står i parentes. Riktige svar (flere muligheter) står i halvfet skrift.]
1. Which of the following Germanic tribes invaded Britain after the Romans had left?
[ ] the Angles
[ ] the Saxons
[ ] the Jutes
[ ] the Celts [They were not Germanic, and besides, they already lived in Britain.]
[ ] the Geats [They were a tribe from southern Sweden to which Beowulf belonged.]
2. When did these Germanic tribes invade Britain?
[ ] in the 4th century AD [This is too early.]
[ ] in the 5th century AD
[ ] in the 6th century AD [This is too late.]
[ ] in the years 400 – 500 AD
[ ] in the years 500 – 600 AD [This is the same as the 6th century, which is too late.]
3. What kind of language(s) did the people living in Britain at that time speak?
[ ] a Celtic language
[ ] a Germanic language
[ ] a Nordic language
[ ] an Italic language
[ ] a Slavic language
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4. What can you say about the connection between Old English and Modern English?
[ ] Old English is no longer connected to Modern English. [Old English is the predecessor of Modern
English and therefore there is a strong connection between the two.]
[ ] Old English is fairly easy to understand for native speakers of English today. [No, it requires a lot
of studying and practice to understand Old English.]
[ ] Old English is very different from modern English.
[ ] Old English is the ancestor of modern English.
[ ] Old English and Modern English are both strongly influenced by French. [No, only Old English was
strongly influenced by French and eventually became Middle English.]
5. Which of the following statements about William the Conqueror are true?
[ ] William the Conqueror came from Normandy in France.
[ ] William was called "The Conqueror" because he conquered Britain.
[ ] William the Conqueror defeated King Harald Hardrade of Norway. [No, King Harold II defeated the
Norwegian king.]
[ ] William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II.
[ ] William the Conqueror defeated both the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II and King Harald Hardrade of
Norway. [No, he only defeated king Harold II.]
6. Why is the year 1066 so important in British history?
[ ] In 1066 England got a new king and a new royal family.
[ ] 1066 was the start of centuries of conflicts and wars between England and France.
[ ] In 1066 Christianity was introduced in England by William the Conqueror. [No, Christianity was
introduced much earlier, around AD 600.]
[ ] In 1066 England, Wales and Scotland became one kingdom ruled by William the Conqueror. [No,
Scotland remained a separate kingdom until 1707.]
[ ] In 1066 the French language was introduced in England by the new king and this brought about
sweeping changes in both English society and the English language.
7. What aspects of the English language were influenced by French after 1066?
[ ] Pronunciation
[ ] Spelling
[ ] Vocabulary: the introduction of new words
[ ] Vocabulary: existing words acquired new meanings
[ ] Grammar
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8. In what language did Geoffrey Chaucer write his famous "Canterbury Tales"?
[ ] Old English [No, this was long before Chaucer.]
[ ] Old Norse [No, this was the language of the Vikings.]
[ ] Middle English
[ ] Anglo-Norman [No, this was the language of William the Conqueror.]
[ ] Anglo-French [No, this was a kind of dialect of Anglo-Norman, the language of William the
Conqueror.]
9. Why was the invention of the printing press such an important event in the history of the English
language?
[ ] The printing press meant that books became cheaper and more people learned to read.
[ ] The printing press meant that the English language became fixed and stopped changing. [No,
spelling and grammar became more fixed, but the language definitely kept on changing.]
[ ] The printing press brought standardization to the English language, especially with regard to
spelling.
[ ] The printing press meant that the London dialect became the standard variety of English with
regard to spelling and grammar.
[ ] The printing press brought standardisation to the pronunciation of English and reduced the
differences between the different dialects. [No, pronunciation was not really standardised, there are
still many different dialects around the country.]
10. Why was there such an increase in the number of English words in the 18th and 19th century?
[ ] Famous authors like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen coined many new words that became very
popular. [No, they might have popularized certain words, but not so many that they can be credited
with expanding the vocabulary of the English language.]
[ ] New technology and inventions created a need for many new words.
[ ] The British Empire consisted of many countries around the world and they contributed with
many new and foreign words to the English language.
[ ] The Americans replaced many old words with new words, like pants for trousers and fall for
autumn, thus increasing the total number of English words. [No, on the contrary. The Americans
often kept the older versions of words, whereas the British acquired new ones.]
[ ] Many existing words acquired new meanings. [This is true to a certain extent, but it does not
concern so many words that we can say that this is a major reason for the clear increase in new
words during this period.]
© Julia Kagge/H. Aschehoug & Co.
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