Sign up to get updates from us
A look at the Old English roots still alive in modern day English
Join us as we delve into the rich history of Old English and its enduring influence on Modern English with Dr Mark Atherton, lecturer at the University of Oxford. Discover the origins of the language of Chaucer and the epic Beowulf, and explore the differences between Old, Middle and Modern English.
“In a way you could say that Old English is still with us. It's the language that each generation has been passing on.”
The English language is full of contradictory rules and peculiarities. That’s because it’s a hybrid language, one which has evolved over many years. To make sense of it, we must go back in time and look at its roots in Old English.
Dr Mark Atherton is a lecturer and author on the subject of Old English at the University of Oxford, and in this episode he tells us how it’s changed to become the language we know today. He shares some of the fascinating phrases and words that make up Old English, like 'overmodiness' and ‘hus’. From Beowulf to Chaucer, he discusses and translates moments from some of the most famous works of Old English literature.
Check out Mark’s book Complete Old English: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading and Understanding Old English, with Original Texts.
For a special treat, listen to Mark’s full musical rendition of the Old English poem Riddle 60 here.
Find out more about our sponsor, Teach Yourself here and sign up to their newsletter. Teach Yourself is offering listeners of The Language Podcast a special 30% discount on all language eBooks, including Mark Atherton’s Complete Old English. Just enter code TYPOD30 at checkout. You can then access the title online, or download it to the accompanying Teach Yourself app. Please note: You will not be able to save the files to your computer.
Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a 5-star rating - it really helps to reach more language lovers like you. If you want to see more of us, you can find us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/language.pod/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheLanguagePod
Website: http://www.thelanguagepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.