The rich history and wonderful words of Old English

If you think learning modern English is difficult, just wait until you meet its wild, rune-loving ancestor, Old English. It’s not quite medieval English and definitely your autocorrect’s worst nightmare. 

Filled with words like hæleþas (“heroes”), dracan (“dragons”), and beadurincas (“warriors”), it can feel like you’ve stepped into a distant past where English was raw, unfamiliar, and full of adventure.

So, what is Old English?

To set the scene, let's first explore some fascinating facts about Old English, a language rooted in conquest and ancient, multicultural influences.

• It’s the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and parts of Scotland between the 5th and 11th centuries.

• When people talk about Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), they’re often thinking of the language of Shakespeare’s time — but that’s actually Early Modern English. Real Old English is much older and far less recognizable to today’s English speakers.

• Early Old English came to England with the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the Germanic tribes that migrated from continental Europe, conquering lands while laying the foundation for the modern English language.

• The language had four main dialects: Northumbrian (northern England and southeastern Scotland), Mercian (central England), Kentish (southeastern England), and West Saxon (southern and southwestern England).

• It was originally written using a runic script called futhorc (ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳ). Old English later adopted the Latin alphabet after the arrival of Christianity.

If you have a flair for the dramatic, here are a few Old English words to add some historical whimsy to your English vocabulary.

1. Banloca (body)

This Old English word for body literally translates to “bone locker” — an enclosure for your bones. You could also say banhus or “bone house,” the decidedly more exotic and even more accurate word for the house of bones that we call the body.

2. Lufu (love)

Meet lufu, the Old English ancestor of “love.” It meant love, affection, or friendship, and it's easy to see how it evolved into Middle English luve or loue, and eventually today’s love.

3. Smeorðung (flattery)

This word means flattery or smooth talk. The modern equivalent of rizzing someone up. “Wow, listen to that guy’s smearðung.” A linguistic power move that would even impress the druids.

4. Úhtcearu (early morning worrying)

This one’s for all the overthinkers. Úhtcearu describes the anxiety or sorrow that creeps in before dawn — the kind that keeps you tossing and turning while worrying about the day ahead. If it’s any comfort, people were losing sleep over their problems a thousand years ago, too. 

5. Beadurof (bold in battle)

Here's a word to describe battle legends, combining terms like beadu (“battle, war”) and rof (“renowned, brave”). Beadurof meant “battle-brave” or “famous in war,” so think of it as the ultimate Anglo-Saxon compliment.

6. Ealuscerwen (deprivation of ale)

This word describes the panic that sets in when the ale — a brew produced like beer but without adding the hops — is running out. It reflects a time when beer and ale were everyday staples — often safer to drink than untreated water, which could be contaminated. While people did drink water, ale was a reliable and essential part of daily life.

7. Cáfe (quickly)

Cáfe means “quickly,” or “promptly.” Next time you’re calling your dog (or anyone who’s taking their sweet time), you can try yelling "Cáfe, cáfe!” to hurry them along. With some urgency, it might just do the trick!

8. Hlōh (laughed)

Hlōh is the Old English equivalent of “LOL” — it’s the first and third person singular past tense of hlihhan, meaning “to laugh.” So next time someone sends you a funny text, try replying with hlōh. Nothing says, “I have a good sense of humor and linguistic skills,” like laughing in Old English.

9. Hundes sunu (son of a hound)

Every list of fun words has an insult or two. This phrase translates to "son of a hound," and honestly, still hits surprisingly hard. Whether someone steals your leftovers or leaves the dishes in the sink, channel your inner Anglo-Saxon and give this one a go. Few things land a burn like one that’s over a thousand years old.

10. Heofon-candel (sun)

You might be able to guess this one — heofon-candel literally means “heaven candle.” Honestly, we should bring this one back — what a beautifully poetic way to describe the sun. Who wouldn’t want to start their day with a warm glow from the good old heaven candle?

While it may sound like something lifted from an ancient manuscript, Old English still has plenty of charm. How about reviving a few of its bold, quirky words to add color and character to your English?