Old English Wordhord
@oewordhord.bsky.social
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Dr Hana Videen (she/her), author of THE WORDHORD: DAILY LIFE IN OLD ENGLISH & THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY. Sharing the Old English Word of the Day since 2013. linktr.ee/wordhord
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oewordhord.bsky.social
Hātabaðan, n: Bath (place name). (HA-ta-BA-thon / ˈhaː-ta-ˌba-θan)
The city of Bath used to be called Hot Baths.
Image: Book of Hours; St Omer or Théouranne, c. 1320; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Add MS 36684, f. 7v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD #placenames
Medieval marginalia depicting a person bathing in a barrel-like tub, with a large bird perched above them and a dragon like creature lurking below.
oewordhord.bsky.social
drohtnian, wk.v: to converse, dwell or keep company with, pass life, live. (DRO’HT-ni-ahn / ˈdrɔxt-nɪ-an)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
secgan, wk.v: to say words, tell. (SEDG-ahn / ˈsɛdʒ-an)
Image: Raymond Lull conversing with Thomas Méysier, his student and disciple; N France, 14th century; Karlsruhe, Badische Landesbibliothek, St Peter Perg. 92, f. 11v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript illustration of two men having a conversation, their dialogue depicted in Latin text that extends to their mouths like speech bubbles; a pile of books lies between them.
oewordhord.bsky.social
pæþ, m/f.n: path, track. (PATH / ˈpæθ)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
No idea why this is the first AI follow-up question that comes up for this post. My book contains no toucans. If you want to read THE DEORHORD (which does discuss other ornithological wonders like phoenixes and flaming chickens), you can find it here: oldenglishwordhord.com/deorhord-book/
Screenshot of a Princeton University Press ad for Hana Videen’s THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY with an AI suggested follow-up question below: ‘Why were toucans called egg-suckers?’
oewordhord.bsky.social
I love that @grammargirl.bsky.social is reading my Old English words of the day! What a gorgeous sand-land...
oewordhord.bsky.social
hrōf-wyrhta, m.n: a worker who works at roofs, a builder. (HROAF-WUER’H-ta / ˈhroːf-ˌwyrx-ta)
Image: Rothschild Canticles; Flanders, c. 1300; Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, MS 404, f. 121v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript illustration of two people on tall ladders working on the roof of a church, one of whom is wearing monastic garb; some roof tiles are falling to the ground.
oewordhord.bsky.social
sand-land, n.n: the sea-shore. (SAWND-LAWND / ˈsand-ˌland)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
grymettan, wk.v: to roar, bellow; to cry out, howl. (GRUE-met-tahn / ˈgry-mɛt-tan)
Image: Marginal lion in the Rothschild Canticles; Flanders, c. 1300; Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, MS 404 (always hard to find), f. 115v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript image of a dark grey lion with a long tail and an enormous mouth; it is roaring at a person with their hands over their head looking terrified.
Reposted by Old English Wordhord
tolkienthoughts.bsky.social
Also now available for 70% off from @princetonupress.bsky.social are @hanavideen.bsky.social's books Word Hord and Deor Hord
oewordhord.bsky.social
dēoren, adj: of or like a wild animal. (DAY-o-ren / ˈdeːɔ-rɛn)
It’s #WorldAnimalDay (Dēores Dæg…sounds better in Old English). Learn about medieval animals in THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY: buff.ly/l4Lbsip
#OldEnglish #WOTD #TheDeorhord @profilebooks.bsky.social
@princetonupress.bsky.social
A stack of THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY, including two paperbacks and two hardcovers. The books are on a wooden staircase and beside them is a brown and white cat sniffing at a treat.
oewordhord.bsky.social
þole-byrde, adj: bearing patiently, patient, long-suffering. (THOLL-uh-BUER-duh / ˈθɔ-lə-ˌbyr-də)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
a-sēon, str.v: to look at or upon, set eyes on (something). (ah-SAY-on / a-ˈseːɔn)
Image: Peterborough Bestiary; England (Peterborough), c. 1300-1310; @parkerlibcccc.bsky.social MS 53, f. 197v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript image of a grey cat curiously gazing down its nose, giving it a cross-eyed appearance.
Reposted by Old English Wordhord
princetonupress.bsky.social
An entertaining tour of Old English words for animals, from the author of The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English.

@hanavideen.bsky.social's The Deorhord is now available in #paperback in the United States and Canada! Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...

#English #OldEnglish #Language
Paperback cover of The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary by Hana Videen
oewordhord.bsky.social
god-forgyfnes, f.n: divine forgiveness. (GOD-for-YUEV-ness / ˈgɔd-fɔr-ˌjyv-nɛs)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
ge-sēm, n.n: reconciliation, an agreement, a compromise. (yeh-SAME / jɛ-ˈseːm)
Read my Mōnaþ-spell (monthly update) on Patreon: bit.ly/goldgifa
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Get more from Old English Wordhord on Patreon
creating the Old English Word of the Day and Book 3
bit.ly
oewordhord.bsky.social
fǣle, adj: faithful, true, dear, good. (FAE-luh / ˈfæː-lə)
Image: The turtledove always remains faithful to its mate; Aberdeen Bestiary; England, c. 1200; @aberdeenunilib.bsky.social MS 24, f. 32r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript illustration of two turtledoves standing on some branches facing one other.
oewordhord.bsky.social
candel-twist, m.n: a pair of candle snuffers. (KAHN-dell-TWIST / ˈkan-dɛl-ˌtwɪst)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
wamm-sceaþa, m.n: evil-doer, sinner, criminal. (WAHM-SHEH-ah-tha / ˈwam-ˌʃɛa-θa)
Image: Silos Apocalypse; N Spain (Santo Domingo de Silos), 1091-1109; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Add MS 11695, f. 40r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript illustration of a serpent twisted around a fruit tree, whispering in the ear of Eve who stands beside Adam, each holding a fig leaf in front of their genitals.
oewordhord.bsky.social
ge-lēafhlystend, m.n: a catechumen (one who is being instructed in the faith before baptism, literally ‘belief-listener’). (yeh-LAY-off-HLUE-stend / jɛ-ˈleːaf-ˌhly-stɛnd)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
a-cwencan, wk.v: to quench, extinguish, put out. (ah-KWENCH-on / a-ˈkwɛn-tʃan)
Image: Cuthbert extinguishing a fire set by a demon in Bede’s Prose Life of St Cuthbert; England (Durham), late 12th century; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Yates Thompson MS 26, f. 30r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript illustration of a monk gesturing towards the flames emerging from a building; two men carry large vessels and look at the fire.
oewordhord.bsky.social
lēosan, str.v: to lose, be deprived of (something / someone); (of thought / intention?) to be lost, come to nothing. (LAY-o-zahn / ˈleːɔ-zan)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
hlædel, m.n: an instrument for drawing water, a ladle. (HLADD-ell / ˈhlæ-dɛl)
Image: Habakkuk carried by an angel in a Book of Hours; Germany (possibly Bamberg), 1204-1219; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.739, f. 19r.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript image of an angel emerging from a cloud, carrying a man by his hair who holds a vessel in his right hand and a ladle in his left.
oewordhord.bsky.social
græft-geweorc, n.n: carved or graven work, a graven image. (GRAFT-yeh-WEH-ork / ˈgræft-jɛ-ˌwɛɔrk)
#OldEnglish #WOTD
oewordhord.bsky.social
heofon-hwealf, f.n: vault of heaven. (HEH-o-von-HWEH-alf / ˈhɛɔ-vɔn-ˌhwɛalf)
Image: Rohan Hours; Angers, c. 1430-1435; @labnf.bsky.social Latin 9471, f. 109v.
#OldEnglish #WOTD
Medieval manuscript image of a stag, a unicorn and a bear gazing up at the starry sky; a camel and three cows rest and graze on the grass around them.