This book focuses on the Norse-derived vocabulary in the works of Archbishop Wulfstan II of York (d. 1023). A considerable advantage derives from studying Wulfstan's compositions because, unlike most Old English texts, they are closely dateable and, to a certain extent, localizable. Thus, they offer excellent material for the examination of the process of integration and accommodation of Norse-derived vocabulary in Old English. After establishing the list of terms which can be accepted to be Norse-derived, this book analyses their relations with their native synonyms, both from a semantic and a stylistic point of view, and their inclusion in the word-formation processes to which Wulfstan submitted his vocabulary, native and borrowed alike. The information derived from this approach is used to explore the possible reasons for the archbishop's selection of the borrowed terms and the impact which his lexical practices had on contemporary and later English writers.

"The influence exerted upon English vocabulary by words that derive from the Scandinavian languages is widespread and profound. These words entered English by Norse speakers in the Anglo-Saxon period, and they claim amongst their number some of the most frequent and important items of everyday modern usage. There nevertheless remains a great deal about this element that we do not properly understand. This book presents etymological and contextual studies of the lexical terms originally derived from Old Norse that are found in the principal early Middle English texts from the South-West Midlands. This is a region that contains some of the most celebrated literary works of the period when Norse-derived words first appear in significant numbers in written English (the late twelfth to the later thirteenth century); being outside the area of the Danelaw, it also presents crucial opportunities for us to understand the transmission of Norse-derived vocabulary to parts of England beyond those of the heaviest initial Scandinavian settlement. This book will be of interest to scholars of early English lexicology, semantics and dialectology, to those studying the background to and linguistic resources of early Middle English literature, and to all those fascinated by the Scandinavian contribution to the history of the English language." --

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2,3, University of Rostock, language: English, abstract: Structure: Part I – Textual Work on “Bede ́s Account of the Poet Cædmon” 1. Provement of the claim: For a precise classification of Old English 1 - 2 inflexional forms it does usually not suffice only to look at the respective form. 2. Formative relationship between OE lār and læran 2 3. Word formation and Compounding 2 - 3 Part II – Term paper: The Scandinavian Influence on Old English 1. Introduction 3 - 4 2. Historical Background – Viking Invasion on the British Isle 4 - 5 3. Language Family 6 - 7 4. Loanwords, loan-blends, loan-shifts 7 - 9 5. Norse-derived vocabulary 10 - 11 6. Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Erklärung über die selbstständige Abfassung einer schriftlichen Arbeit Part I – Textual Work on “Bede ́s Account of the Poet Cædmon” 1.) It is unprofitable only to look at the respective form, because the –an declension of nouns contains five forms with the ending –an (Sg.a./g./d. - Pl.n./a.) Examples: guma – engl.: man (masc.) cyrice – engl.: church (fem.) Sg.n. guma cyrice Sg.a. guman cyrican Sg.g. guman cyrican Sg.d. guman cyrican Pl.n. guman cyrican Pl.a. guman cyrican Pl.g. gumena cyricena Pl.d. gumum cyricum Next I will specify case, number, gender, declensional/conjugational class, weak/strong inflexion of the following forms from the Cædmon text.

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2,3, University of Rostock, language: English, abstract: Structure: Part I - Textual Work on "Bede ́s Account of the Poet Cædmon" 1.Provement of the claim: For a precise classification of Old English 1 - 2 inflexional forms it does usually not suffice only to look at the respective form. 2.Formative relationship between OE lār and læran2 3.Word formation and Compounding2 - 3 Part II - Term paper: The Scandinavian Influence on Old English 1.Introduction3 - 4 2.Historical Background - Viking Invasion on the British Isle4 - 5 3.Language Family6 - 7 4.Loanwords, loan-blends, loan-shifts7 - 9 5.Norse-derived vocabulary10 - 11 6.Conclusion11 Bibliography12 Erklärung über die selbstständige Abfassung einer schriftlichen Arbeit Part I - Textual Work on "Bede ́s Account of the Poet Cædmon" 1.) It is unprofitable only to look at the respective form, because the -an declension of nouns contains five forms with the ending -an (Sg.a./g./d. - Pl.n./a.) Examples: guma - engl.: man (masc.)cyrice - engl.: church (fem.) Sg.n. gumacyrice Sg.a.gumancyrican Sg.g.gumancyrican Sg.d.gumancyrican Pl.n.gumancyrican Pl.a.gumancyrican Pl.g.gumenacyricena Pl.d.gumumcyricum Next I will specify case, number, gender, declensional/conjugational class, weak/strong inflexion of the following forms from the Cædmon text.

So far, no comprehensive study of the obsolescence of Scandinavian loanwords in English has ever been published. This book remedies that situation, and presents an analysis of the causes of obsolescence of Scandinavian loanwords in English since the 15th century. The study has mainly been based on the Oxford English Dictionary and the Middle English Dictionary. Over 300 loanwords have been selected, grouped into semantic fields and analysed. To account for their disappearance, reasons such as the rivalry of synonyms, the exclusive use in local dialects, the disappearance of the referent as well as rare occurrence or phonological changes were investigated.

This is the first book-length study of the four penitentials composed in Old English. This book argues that they are also important to our understanding of how written law developed in early England. This book considers their backgrounds and shows how they illuminate obscure passages in better-known Old English texts.

This book is a rigorous and broad update of the state of the art in the investigation of Old and Middle English. The volume, written by some of the best known experts in this field, addresses different issues, such as etymology, manuscript sources, and medieval literary traditions, among others. Its contents will be particularly useful for those interested in the different perspectives of current research in the field, exhorting the reader to consider the relationship of the medieval textual heritage and language with both its contemporary medieval audience and the readers of the 21st century. This book will appeal to specialists in Old and Middle English language and literature and also to university students. In contrast with monographs, which focus on a specific aspect, these essays allow a broader panorama of what is being done and the approaches currently being used.