There's no doubt about it: Old and Modern English might as well be two completely different languages. A few other connections shine faintly through, like hefaen for heaven, fadur for father, and uerc for work, but I can’t glean much else… and even in the modern version, I still have no idea what a “Wulder-father” is. Only two words appear unchanged: he and his. Separated by more than a millennium, these two texts are barely recognisable as the “same” language. Work of the Wulder-Father as he of wonders The might of the Measurer and his purpose Now shall we praise the Warden of Heaven-Kingdom Those are the first few lines of Cædmon's Hymn, a 7th-Century poem generally considered to be the oldest surviving work of English literature. ?Ĭan you read Old English writing? Here's a sample: Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
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