1. When was Old English 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.
-German influence.
-Latin influence.
-Norce influence.
-Celtic influence.
3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.
Consonants:
-/w/ Old english: Velar and Aproximant
Moder English: Bilabial and Aproximant
-/ʒ/ Old English: It wasn’t used
Modern English: Palatal and Fricative.
Vowals:
-In Old english we can find 14 vowals, now on days we only have 12.
-The front mid rounded vowels /ø(ː)/ occur in some dialects of Old English.
Diphthongs:
-In Modern English we find eight diphthongs, in Old English it was only six.
4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.
I think that the similarites are the major part of the consonants, and some allophones.
5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?
There are 34 runes.
6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?
It was Beowulf.
7. In the See Also section, click on: Beowulf. Approximately when was Beowulf written?
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 Sweden and Denmark.
9. In the poem, which 3 antagonists does Beowulf battle or fight against?
- Grendel.
- Grendel’s Mother.
- The dragon.
10. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the story?
Beowulf died after the final battle against the dragon.
11. Who was the author of Beowulf?
The author of Beowulf is unknown.
12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf?
Beowulf (1999)
Beowulf (2007)
