none of you know what Old English is, do you?

Question

or when it was spoken, who used it, etc.?

who spoke or wrote in Old English?

any more copy and paste on that?

Answer 1

It was the language of England which came before Elizabethan(or Shakespearean English) and also before Middle English (the language of Chaucer, who was before Shakespeare). The most famous piece of Old English literature is Beowulf, which oddly is a group of stories which aren't even about England.

Answer 2

Old English is a form of the English language that was spoken before the French influence came in after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Much of Modern English is Latin based because of the French influence. William the Conqueror spoke French so his court spoke French.

Answer 3

Old English is actually pre-Shakespeare. Shakespeare's language, while often obtuse, is still readable by the modern reader. Old English, on the other hand, is almost impossible to read, unless you have studied it extensively.
Beowulf would be an example of Old English. Back in the times when Old English was spoken (around 400AD-1000AD, give or take), the authors of the works were rarely recorded.
Chaucer (and his Cantabury Tales) were written in Middle English, if I am remebering my Brit. Lit. classes correctly...

Answer 4

Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. It is a West Germanic language and therefore is similar to Old Frisian and Old Saxon. It is also related to Old Norse and, by extension, to modern Icelandic.


And ironically, it is also a furniture polish, used by my wife yesterday at 4:00, and it was 6 motnhs old.

Answer 5

Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. It is a West Germanic language and therefore is similar to Old Frisian and Old Saxon. It is also related to Old Norse and, by extension, to modern Icelandic.

"Hotmom" above is incorrect; Shakespeare was not written in Old English.

Answer 6

Read an original test version of The Canterbury Tales or anything by Geoffrey Chaucer and you'll find out exactly what it is...

If you saw the movie Sylvia about Sylvia Plath... That is what Gwyeneth Paltrow Martin did an excellent job of speaking when she was on the boat with her husband to be Ted Hughes in the movie, Here is the modern translation of what she spoke to the attentive cows in old english... Hopefully it'll make you curious and go see it if you haven't? It is an excellent movie...

THE WIFE OF BATH'S PROLOGUE

"Experience, though noon auctoritee
Were in this world, were right ynogh to me
To speke of wo that is in mariage;
For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age,
Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve,
Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve


Translates to...

Experience, though no authority
Were in this world, were good enough for me,
To speak of woe that is in all marriage;
For, masters, since I was twelve years of age,
Thanks be to God Who is for aye alive,
Of husbands at church door have I had five;

Answer 7

If you want good examples of Old English, look up the works of William Shakespeare or Geoffrey Chaucer.

Answer 8

Early England spoke this, like any of the original Shakespeare literature will be written in that dialog.

Answer 9

Old english is a type or style of writing that gangsters like to get all tatooed in and stuff... In Utah anyway!!!

Answer 10

What is this Olde English? I have no idea. Was I suppose-d to?