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Old English, spoken in Britain for 700 years from the mid-5th century, was influenced by Germanic and Celtic languages and later Latin. It used the runic alphabet until adopting the Latin alphabet. Wessex became the standard dialect, leading to the language spoken today. Surviving texts include Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Old English is different from other early versions of English and has a difficult grammar.
Old English, also known as English or Anglo-Saxon, is an early version of the English spoken in Britain today. In use for about 700 years, starting in the mid-5th century, it varies widely from the language we know today. Over the centuries it was influenced by Germanic dialects and Celtic languages. Later, Latin also became a powerful influence, particularly around the time a new alphabet was adopted. Since Latin was considered the language of the educated population, it became important at some point to adopt a new alphabet. Old English originally used the runic alphabet, so when the Latin alphabet was adopted, words were written as spoken and there were no silent letters.
The language was divided into four dialects, each spoken in a different area or kingdom. By the 9th century, the process of unification was well underway which meant that the dialects fell out of use, as the government favored the use of Wessex, the most widely spoken of the four. Eventually, Wessex became the standard Winchester, moving away from Old English and moving ever closer to the language English speakers use today.
There are very few surviving texts written in Old English. The most famous are the epic poem Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of chronicles covering the history of the Anglo-Saxons. A few translations are also available, mostly religious ones, but most of the original manuscripts have long since been lost. As it is now a dead language, only scholars can access the full interpretation of the preserved manuscripts.
The Old English language should not be confused with other early versions of the English language spoken today. Although the English spoken by Shakespeare is very different from modern English, it is still considered the same. Old English, on the other hand, is a completely different language, with a variety of letters that do not currently exist. Examples can now be found all over the internet, and some websites even offer an introductory course for those interested in learning the basics of the language. Grammar is quite difficult, as all nouns have number, case and gender. Speakers of Germanic languages may have a harder time understanding it than modern English speakers.
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