Learn Old English with the Wordhoard: Nouns III

Does it feel good to be translating, finally, after all these weeks? We're still doing nouns, so once again review the nouns chapters of Baker and Drout (Strong Nouns, Weak Nouns, and Minor Declensions). You should now be able to reproduce your demonstrative pronoun paradigms without using your magic sheet. Even though it seems tendious, believe me, knowing those paradigms will make translation a lot easier! One of my students has even posted a little advice on how to deal with all these paradigms.

OK, here's your quiz of your new verbs, as well as a few review words. Notice how useful these verbs are -- many of them will come up a great deal in the translations we do this semester. As always, simply highlight the quiz to see the hidden answers.

fremman … to do
helpan … to help
beon … to be
cunnan … to know how to
magan … to be able to, may
sculan … to be obliged to, must
witan … to know
sceþþan … to injure
herian … to praise
hælan … to heal
lufian … to love
cwellan … to kill
engel … angel
heafod … head
sawol … soul
hæle … man, warrior
mægþ … maiden
eage … eye
tunge … tongue
þing … thing

You should work on finishing your translation of the first six verses of the OE translation of Psalm I. If you don't have the book, here it is:

1] Eadig byð se wer þe ne gæð on geþeaht unrihtwisra, ne on þam wege ne stent synfulra, ne on heora wolbærendum setle ne sitt; 2] Ac his willa byð on godes æ, and ymb his æ he byð smeagende dæges and nihtes. 3] Him byð swa þam treowe þe byð aplantod neah wætera rynum, Þæt sylð his wæstmas to rihtre tide, and his leaf and his blæda ne fealwiað, ne ne seariað, swa byð þam men þe we ær ymbspræcon; eall him cymð to gode þæt þæt he deð. 4] Ac þa unrihtwisan ne beoð na swylce, ne him eac swa ne limpð, ac hi beoð duste gelicran þonne hit wind toblæwð. 5] Þy ne arisað þa unrihtwisan on domes dæg, ne þa synfullan ne beoð on geþeahte þæra rihtwisena. 6] Forþam God wat hwylcne weg þa rihtwisan geearnedon, ac þa unrihtwisan cumað to witum.

I'll repeat that first verse again both over and under our podcast for this time, because I'll be referring to it and giving you little translation clues. Below you'll find your new vocabulary words, followed by the podcast. Don't let the translation become a horrible chore -- do it bit by bit every day, and remember that you're now entering a very exclusive fraternity, the Siblinghood* of Old English Readers!


Verbs II

secan … to seek
þencan … to think
smeagan … to ponder
habban … to have, to hold
libban … to live
secgan … to say, to tell
hycgan … to think, to intend
writan … to write
ceosan … to choose
lucan … to lock
singan … to sing
hweorfan … to turn, to change, to go
stelan … to steal


1] Eadig byð se wer þe ne gæð on geþeaht unrihtwisra, ne on þam wege ne stent synfulra, ne on heora wolbærendum setle ne sitt;

1] Eadig byð se wer þe ne gæð on geþeaht unrihtwisra, ne on þam wege ne stent synfulra, ne on heora wolbærendum setle ne sitt;


*Neuter plural, so no angry e-mails about using the word "fraternity!"