History of the English Language

Old English (450-1066 A.D.)

• What did Old English look like?

Line	Original	Translation
[1]	Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum,	Father ours, thou that art in heaven,
[2]	Si þin nama gehalgod.	Be thy name hallowed.
[3]	To becume þin rice,	Come thy rich (kingdom),
[4]	gewurþe ðin willa, on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.	Worth (manifest) thy will, on earth also as in heaven.
[5]	Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,	Our daily loaf sell (give) us today,
[6]	and forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum.	and forgive us our guilts as also we forgive our guilty (lit. guiltants).
[7]	And ne gelæd þu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfele.	And lead thou us not in temptation, but loose (release) us of evil.
[8]	Soþlice.	Soothly.

Old English (450-1066 A.D.)

• What did Old English sound like?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av-37L0G8lw

(4) Norman Invasion

• Historical Notes:
• In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court and the ruling and business classes.