Notice: This is the official website of the All Empires History Community (Reg. 10 Feb 2002)

  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

English language before the Anglo Saxons
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Lotus View Drop Down
Samurai
Samurai
Avatar

Joined: 17-Aug-2006
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 116 		  Quote Lotus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: English language before the Anglo Saxons
    Posted: 04-Jan-2007 at 09:40


I was watching a programme on BBC Newsnight which came up with a new theory in the origin of the English language.

Unfortunately I cant find a link for the programme or find the name or the person that put forward the theory, however it proposed that English was around a long time before the Anglo Saxon arrival to Britain.

He highlighted old English place names that ended in ey which tended to refer to an island. He also referred to a huge lake in the middle of England during the Stone and Iron Age and linked this with a number of towns around the periphery of the lake with ey endings.

The lake had disappeared a long time before the Anglo Saxons arrived, meaning the towns must have been named by the original inhabitants of Britain, and old English was their language.

Ill try and find some links.
Back to Top
Paul View Drop Down
General
General
Avatar
AE Immoderator

Joined: 21-Aug-2004
Location: Hyperborea
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 952 		  Quote Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Jan-2007 at 11:05
The Saxon Shore of Britain had been subject to contact, and trade with Scandinavia for thousands of years before the Anglo-Saxons period of British history. That local will have learnt the language of trading partners is pretty usual.

It would also explain the spread of the English language which to this day is still a mystery.

Edited by Paul - 04-Jan-2007 at 11:06
Light blue touch paper and stand well back

http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk

http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk
Back to Top
Styrbiorn View Drop Down
Caliph
Caliph


Joined: 04-Aug-2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2810 		  Quote Styrbiorn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Jan-2007 at 17:13
But ey is the Scandinavian word for "island", while afaik the Old English is igland. So where is the connection?
Back to Top
Tangriberdi View Drop Down
Earl
Earl


Joined: 03-Aug-2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 267 		  Quote Tangriberdi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09-Jan-2007 at 14:20
Infact I know that modern English island comes from Middle English iland  and it came from old English igland. But as far as I know iglandwas not the only wordin Old English  for modern island.  Ig(Ij or Ej) was also used. And linguistically -land in igland is just an addition. And Ig solely bear the meaning of Igland or Island.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.56a [Free Express Edition]
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.082 seconds.