Kenning the Life in Medieval England Through Its Wordhord

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette. Old English is the vernacular that was spoken in England from about the year 550 to 1150. And it’s very different from the English that’s spoken today. It really sounds a lot more like a mashup of Scandinavian languages and German. But even if you don’t understand Old English, it can be mesmerizing to listen to. And one word from that version of English is hoard, H-O-R-D. It means treasure, and it also carries the sense of something valuable that’s hidden and locked away. Hoard is also a part of the compound Old English noun word hoard, and that’s the treasure of words that you have stored up inside yourself. In fact, there’s an Old English poem about a man named Widsith, who’s wandered far and wide. And it begins like this, Widsith matholada, word horde on layak, which means Widsith spoke, unlocked his word horde.

And then the rest of the poem is him unloading about his travels. And you can hear the rhythm and alliteration that’s so typical of Old English poetry in those first lines, Widsith Matholada, Word Hoard on Laoc. And if you want to splash around a bit in Old English, there’s a new book that will help you do that. It’s called The Word Hoard, Daily Life in Old English. It’s by Hannah Vaidine, who did her doctoral work on this topic. And it’s a very accessible, almost conversational book about life in early medieval England. And it’s divided into chapters on such topics as eating and drinking, medicine, animals, religion.

And what I find really valuable about this book is that at the end of each chapter, she compiles a word hoard of all those Old English words that she’s mentioned with their pronunciations and their definitions. And that gives you the chance to roll these words around in your mouth and give you a really delicious taste of the language and the culture of that time. I really think you’d enjoy it.

Oh, absolutely. It’s right down my alley, Martha.

Yeah, or right up your alley.

And what’s so perfect about this is that you feel that you know it. It’s like meeting the sibling of your best friend. And they look alike, and they sound alike, and they share some of the same traits. But they’re not your friend. But boy, it just feels like you could get to know them really well. It’s just so close to what we know as English today. And yet not quite English today. I don’t know if it’s a sibling or if it’s a grandparent.

Right.

It’s an ancestor.

But I really would recommend just going online, and we can link to some sites that have great renditions of Old English poetry. Some of it is just heart-rending, talking about sorrow and loss, but in this very beautiful, beautiful meter and rhythm and alliteration.

So word horde itself is a type of word known as a kenning, and I believe the book talks about those as well.

Yes.

For example, there’s a term in Old English that literally means sky candle, but it’s a word for sun. And the sea is described as the whale road. And a sailor on the sea is sometimes described as the equivalent of a sea guest, a guest on the water out there. Sea guest, whale road.

How delightful.

So two nouns put together to make this compound word that, oh, it’s just gorgeous.

Right.

Right, a kenning, as you said, K-E-N-N-I-N-G. That book again, Martha?

It’s called The Word Hoard, Daily Life in Old English by Hannah Vaidin. And I should add that she also tweets a word of the day at Old English Word Hoard, O-E Word Hoard.

Well, break open your Word Hoard and share it with us, 877-929-9673.

Or put your Word Hoard into your keyboard, words@waywordradio.org.