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The Earliest English: An Introduction to Old English Language (Learning About Language)
Chris Mccully , and
Sharon Hilles
Manufacturer: Pearson ESL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0582404746 |
Book Description
Introduction to Old English is the leading text available designed to help students engage with Old English literary and historical texts for the first time. This new edition builds on the success of the original and includes an expanded anthology and new, easy-to-use glossary.The book 's rich pedagogy includes basic grammar reviews at the beginning of each major chapter, covering the foundations of Old English. Other features include "minitexts " for practice in reading the language, and a detailed introduction to meter and style that eases the transition from prose to poetry. The original anthology of 14 readings has also been expanded to include four new texts: Ælfric's Sermon on the Book of Job; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry (1087) on William the Conqueror; The Voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan from the Old English Orosius; and The Battle of Maldon.Introduction to Old English is an essential text for all students encountering the field for the first time.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but problems with practice.......2007-09-22
Introduction to Old English, is, overall, very well laid out. It is easy to understand and presents new material in an ordered way. My one problem, however, is with the practice sentences and texts. They require a much higher knowledge of Old English that could be expected at the very beginning levels. Besides that, there are no major problems, and it should be an otherwise good experience.
Excellent Text.......2007-01-14
I bought a copy of Baker's Introduction to Old English while taking a graduate course in order to supplement the other texts used. I found this to be a fantastic resource for the solo learner. The explanations were precise yet easy to understand and the exercises helped to illuminate the grammar points. I really enjoyed the online exercises, standard these days in foreign language courses, which quickly allowed me to grasp concepts. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Old English.
Learning Old English? Begin Here.......2006-04-14
Dr. Baker's "Introduction to Old English" is probably the best book for a person to use who has no previous experience with either Old English or traditional linguistics. I used this book as an undergraduate taking a graduate Old English course and found it most enjoyable and useful. Each chapter is quite easy to follow, and usually contain at least one "mini-text" which are short texts in Old English that you can read along the way. This method is especially useful; by the time you begin with the anthology of literature located in the back of the book, you've already read some simplier passages of Old English.
The book is worth its retail price simply for its collection of literature. Included here are the "The Wife's Lament", "The Wanderer", "Wulf and Eadwacer" and excerpts from "Judith" and "Beowulf". This book is even helpful for someone who has no previous study in the history of the English language, although those who do will find this book superbly accesible.
The Best Book for the Solo Learner.......2005-08-01
Professor Baker's relatively new book is the best one-volume start for someone learning Old English outside of a classroom setting. It is significantly better for this purpose than Mitchell's book, although Baker does not convey quite the same sense of enthusiasm that Mitchell does.
In addition to the expected format for a book such as this, which consists of grammar-oriented instruction, graded readings, and a glossary, there are excellent chapters on metrics, manuscript reading, and a fine bibliography and set of recommended readings. He even provides a chapter for the reader who might be deficient in common grammatical terms.
The highlight of the book, though, are the links to the online exercises, which provide a much more convenient method of practice. Focused practice is essential when learning a language, and the online exercises are much better than the usual handful of perfunctory exercises provided in graded grammars. In many such books, answers to the exercises aren't even provided.
In summary, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn to read and appreciate Old English on their own.
An Excellent Primer and Invaluable Resource.......2004-10-26
As a learning tool, Peter S. Baker's Introduction to Old English succeeds marvellously in that it is concise and clear without erring on the side of oversimplification. The ordering of chapters is intuitive and the key concepts are easily accreted along the way; in comparatively little time readers will acquire a wealth of knowledge, and in its practicality the book is sure not to intimidate the uninitiated.
The basic review of English grammar is both thorough and efficient without being overly pedantic. Unfortunately, more and more students of English are finding themselves ill-equipped and poorly acquainted with the basics of grammar. Baker's review will familiarize them with the grammatical essentials while simultaneously providing a useful review to those more accustomed to them. There is sufficient treatment of the main topics in the text without any superfluous explication that might confuse the introductory reader. Baker's plain English explanations are unambiguous and, where possible, he offers Modern English correlates and analogues that effectively frame the linguistic topic being discussed.
The chapters on the style and grammar of poetry are essential resources. Poetry makes up such a significant part of the extant Anglo-Saxon literature that it would be a failure on the part of the author to leave the student stranded in the intricacies of the form. Taking the chapter on reading manuscripts into consideration, as well as the appendices, Baker helps the student build a truly solid foundation upon which to base further study. The glossary, for example, allows students who are as yet unfamiliar Anglo-Saxon word forms to easily find what they are looking for, and will furnish them with the skills they need to approach more ambitious dictionaries.
The companion web site provides a variety of resources for the student. The Old English "Magic Sheet" is a tool that students will find invaluable in their initial approach to Anglo-Saxon Literature. As the student refers to it repeatedly in his or her reading, he or she will quickly become more familiar with the forms and may soon be weaned off of it. In each chapter there are references to relevant "Old English Aerobics" exercises online, which can assist students in need of some basic practice with the material. The ability to look up a word, part of speech, or clause with the click of a button is a testament to the work that was put into developing the resource. While I must applaud the author's forward thinking and effective use of the technology, getting online may yet provide challenges at times for certain students, and the exercises themselves can prove somewhat short and elementary. A simple solution to these minor problems might be to include self tutorial exercises in a new edition, or to publish a companion workbook at some point in the future. To my knowledge, no such resource exists in Old English, and it must be said that there is simply no substitute for routine practice when learning a new language.
These minor concerns are truly subordinate to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Though the book itself may not be a substitute for practice, passages appropriate for initiates to tackle and translate are included in the anthology, and students will find themselves far better equipped to approach Old English after having covered the main topics. It was with great pleasure that I found my own abilities dramatically improved after simply having covered the sixteen initial chapters. Introduction to Old English proves to be not only an exceedingly effective primer with regard to Anglo-Saxon literature, but an invaluable reference to accompany further readings and studies within the context of the language. Every student of Old English should sleep with a copy of this book under their pillow.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic.......2007-01-09
This book is *extremely* helpful. It's a high-frequency word list, meaning that it includes the most common words in Old English literature, and it's organized in an intuitive fashion: by roots.
The author suggests in the foreword that you start from the back of the book, by learning the first word in each root group, and then work through the rest of the book. I wish I had done that at the beginning of the semester. I just worked my way through that list (about 200 terms), and it made my course reading so much easier that I would pay $13.50 for that list alone.
Buy the book and put the words on flash cards. It's a lot of time invested up front, but it's saving me a tremendous amount of time because I'm using my glossary sooo much less.
Don't make me unlock my word-hoard on you! :).......2006-11-03
This short but valuable book is a treasure trove for word lovers, amateur (and professional) etymologists, and fans of Old English language and literature. The book is essentially a word list of the most often-encountered words in the main body of the Old English literary corpus (primarily Beowulf, considering the length of the poem, but ranging across other works as well), arranged in order of frequency. Each entry offers a definition, common compounds and kennings, as well as cognates in Modern and Middle English and other related languages (e.g., German and Old Norse). Some entries are short and straightforward, while others reveal interesting etymological connections I hadn't been aware of before.
The book is more interesting than useful, however, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. A great book to peruse for fun or leisure -- and probably very useful for new students of Old English -- but more seasoned students and scholars will exhaust its limited number of words quickly. And its brevity means that it's concerned only with the most common words, which seasoned scholars will probably already know well.
An excellent bathroom book -- and yes, I mean that as a compliment! :) The only strange thing is that the book, though published recently (or reprinted might be more accurate), looks as though it were typed on an old IBM Selectric II Typewriter (I recognize the typeface, because I used to use one of these myself :). A bit jarring in this day and age where computer-produced copy is the norm, but once you get used to it, it doesn't detract.
Nostalgic presentation of good information.......2006-08-20
The volume of information in Word-Hoard is excellent, putting together conceptually and etymologically related words to condense the exercise of learning Old English vocabulary down. Each cluster of words has a write-up and individually the words are accompanied by grammatical details such as strength/gender, as well as all-important compounds made from the words.
All of this is typeset in dreary university typewriter font. For some, it will be an irritation but for others like myself who've delved into many such texts as part of a degree it may bring back fond memories. It's workable, let's leave it at that.
It's not an essential study book but it certainly adds its particular spice and works best alongside a good dictionary such as Bosworth/Toller or Clark. For those with an interest in Old English words it would be a lovely introduction to the vocabulary.
Pure pleasure.......2005-02-23
This slim work goes deep rather than broad, taking a close look at a few hundred of the OE words most frequently encountered in the extant literature. Each word's entry will include some modern and ancient language cognates, as well as shades of meaning and "philology nerd" points of interest. It's a marvelous book to dip into when brushing your teeth or waiting for your toast to pop up--every time you open it you'll come away with a deeper understanding than you had before, not only of OE, but of modern English as well. It's worth the price just for the discussion of the Anglo-Saxons' unfamiliar apprehension of the nature of colors.
Nice little book.......2004-04-08
This book is a good book if you already know Old English. It is not alphabetical and difficult to find words. I am positive this will shall be a wonderful book to have around, once one knows Old English in full! But for the moment [for most beginners] it is not wholly ideal.
If you know some [even a fragment], large portions or all of Old English, I recomend it.
I do not mean to sound negative, but I am most duly trying to give my honest thoughts to the best of my ability.
Book Description
This innovative and intriguing introduction to Old English literature is structured around what the author calls 'figures' from Anglo-Saxon culture: the Vow, the Hall, the Miracle, the Pulpit, and the Scholar. These unconventional categories not only situate Old English texts within a cultural framework but also create new connections between different genres, periods and authors: for example, between prose and poetry, the vernacular and Latin, and the obscure and the well known. The book is based on the author's many years' experience of teaching Old English literature and combines close textual analysis with historical context, making it suitable for both new students and general readers.
Book Description
This short book does not aim to provide a grammar of Old English. Rather it suggests why the language is so fun to learn, and guides the beginner through some of the resources available from the Early Medieval world. The types of text surviving are discussed and a few guided exercises show how reading these is really no more difficult than studying Latin.
Customer Reviews:
This book generates a genuine enthusiasm for the subject.......1998-07-25
While the books is less than 60 pages long it manages to cover a surprisingly varied number of themes. Anyone can pick up the book, whether they are total beginners or intermediate students.
The author succeeds in taking OE beyond grammar and urges the reader to explore other avenues, such as the influence of the language on New English and the evolution of OE place names to their modern day equivalents.
The book certainly whets the appetite for OE language and literature and there is a comprehensive list of further reading material for the student who wants to go further.
Customer Reviews:
He has them in derision. Psalm 2:4.......2007-05-19
Why do the nations rage and the peoples imagine a vain thing?
The kings and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His anointed.
"Let's break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us."
He that sits in the heavens laughs,
BUT, He has them in derision...
Then He will speak to them in His GREAT wrath, and affright them in His sore displeasure.
Truly, it is I that have established my King on mount Zion, My holy mountain.
Be wise, O kings and be admonished ye judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way...
I prefer Hebrew commentaries for all of the Old Testament. Especially the Psalms, they have a special quality to them being almost wholly prophetic. And the above Psalm is pretty crystal clear to me. You can try to figure these all out, but ultimately all of G-d's prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled are meant to be sketchy. G-d knows even better than His Son what He will do in the future...I love Hebrew commentaries. Works fine for me.
A review of the second edition of A. Cohen's "The Psalms".......2002-04-17
Having used the first edition of this commentary extensively in both personal prayer, study, and as a research tool for my work with the Psalms, I am very familiar with the book and have found it to be an invaluable tool and trusted resource. However, I am disappointed in this revised edition for a number of reasons. First, the new editor removed all commentary references from non-Jewish scholars, which is unfortunate, since the ecumenical nature of the first edition, with extensive Jewish as well as Christian scholarship, was more extensive. The Christian scholars cited in the first edition were not used in a "Christological" manner, but offered their notes on the Hebrew text. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that the commentary is "Jewish" in perspective, but the revised edition lacks the quality of the original due to the removal of the non-Christian scholars' works. Secondly, the earlier edition has a neater, more attractive font and is more readable. The revised edition also has several errors, and some of the titles to head the various divisions of the Psalter are missing in the revised edition. I recommend that people search for a good copy of the first edition--which had several printings--rather than purchase the revised edition.
Book Description
From runic inscriptions to sagas, this book introduces readers to the colourful world of Old Norse-Icelandic literature. It covers not only mythology and family sagas, but also looks at less well-known areas, such as oral story-telling, Eddaic verse and skaldic verse. An introduction describing the language and culture of the first settlers in Iceland helps readers to appreciate the background against which this literature was produced.The book acts as an introduction not only to Old-Norse Icelandic literature, but also to its reception through the ages and its influence on literature written in English. The author shows how a whole range of authors from Chaucer to Seamus Heaney have been influenced by this body of work, pointing out that even King Lear and Hamlet appear in Old Norse texts.
Book Description
Traditionally Old English grammars have merely presented grammatical informtaion and teachers have been left to organize it and communicate it to students. Reading Old English, however, attempts to do quite a bit of the teaching, often warning students that one detail is particularly important to learn, or that they should not be discouraged upon encountering yet another seemingly illogical construction. The explanations are clear, and the exercises are well conceived and admirably plentiful. Furthermore, authors Robert Hasenfratz and Thomas Jambeck have been diligent in avoiding "dumbing down" the material: students are expected to with most of the complexities demanded of them by more traditional grammars.
Customer Reviews:
It works.......2007-07-23
I'm a PhD student in English taking Old English as a class. We are using several texts but this one seems to work better for me than anything else I've been exposed to. Easy to understand and follow. It has been a great help.
Intro to Old English.......2006-11-05
The first edition has some typos, but it is much more user friendly than other Old English textbooks. Apparently, the authors envision it being used in a 6-7 week course, but that is too short a time for people. It just takes longer than that to memorize solidly all the necessary forms. Despite its minor problems, I highly recommend it.
Full of Mistakes.......2006-10-30
Hasenfratz and Jambeck's book attempts to remove the philology from the study of Old English and make it available to a wider audience. Ignoring the mistakes in the book (which will be addressed momentarily), this can be seen as good from the point of view of non-academics or the many English grad students who plan to forget Old English as soon as they're done. However, academics actively interested in the field of Old English are much better served by Mitchell and Robinson's Guide to Old English. As far as the mistakes, the first edition of the book is full of them. The website contains many corrections, if you feel like taking the time to look there. Unfortunately, the greatest concentration of mistakes occurs in the two page reference grammar at the end of the book and on the website, which as of mid September when I printed mine out, remains mostly uncorrected. As a result, you must constantly cross-check the reference grammar with both the material in the book and with other books on Old English. The entire paradigm given for weak adjectives which change stems is wrong, and unless you compare with Mitchell and Robinson, you will never have any idea.
In conclusion, if a second edition is ever released which corrects the many mistakes, it will probably be a good text if you have a passing interest in Old English. But for now (or if you're seriously interested in Old English), the more traditional books such as Mitchell and Robinson are still your best bets.
A good book for a difficult subject........2006-06-16
Old English is definitely a challenge, but Hasenfratz makes it a bit easier with clear writing with good reviews of modern English grammar. Each chapter is loaded with practice sentences and entire sections of actual historical texts to translate. The only drawback, no solutions are provided, so it makes an independent study of it a bit more difficult.
Customer Reviews:
Soncino Isaiah.......2007-03-12
This annotated version of the Book of Isaiah has Hebrew and English text in 2 columns on the same page and features the commentary of RADAK, Rabbi David Kimchi. Occasionally other sources are quoted. This book is not for people who exclusively suscribe to the documentary hypothesis.
Book Description
This accessible overview covers all the basic linguistic elements of Old English, including nouns, adjectives, verbs, syntax, word order, and vocabulary. Offering a unique study of Old English in context, it combines a wide variety of short texts with an up-to-date assessment of the forms of language that remain as the foundation of English today. Comparisons are drawn between Old and present-day English and also with other related languages such as Dutch, German, and French. Old English poetry and dialect variation are also discussed.
Customer Reviews:
Terrible.......2006-12-12
I have studied a number of languages and used a number of text books for this purpose. This book is almost certainly the worst. It is nearly useless to anyone who does not have a strong background in linguistics and comparative grammatical theory. Hogg somehow manages to obfuscate the explanations of even the simplest grammatical concepts.
Oi!.......2006-04-09
I do not write many reviews, but thought I should respond to a few comments of the other reviewer. First, Hogg's book was written before the DNA studies were published, and second as a book on LANGUAGE, ethnicity has very little to do with linguistics and language, so discussions of the DNA studies or when the "Saxons" settled in England is all really beside the point. Second, there is no evidence that Saxons were in service to the Romans. There is evidence that Germanic settlers were coming to Britain in the fourth century and that to do so would have had least local Roman permission and knowledge, but that isn't the same as being in service to Rome. Finally, the whole notion that England is descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel (or from Aeneas and the Trojans for that matter) are pseudo-historical claims that were made AFTER the Old English period and so not of any interest to a book on the Old English language.
This is a fine Old English grammar and good reference book that has been well received.
About what it says about when the Saxons first came to England.......2006-01-30
Sometime before 2000 archaeologista and or historians showed that the Saxons actually started in Roman Britain just BEFORE the Romans pulled out. THe saxons were actually in the service of the Roman army. Yet Hogg never mentions that when he discusses Angle ans Saxon settlement of Britain he appears to believe that the Saxons came to Britain only after the Romans pulled in AD 407. Also, it doesn't look as if Hogg mentions any of the DNA studies by Luigui Cavalli-Sforza that shows how close genetically English are to pretty much above all the Dutch. Hogg does mention the English language's close affinity to the Frisian and Dutch lanhguages though. As a side note the English used to believe they were directly descended from one of the Lost Jewish tribes of Israel (the English aren't actually they are only neolithically Syrian as DNA studies by scientist Spencer Wells showed). It would have been interesting if Hogg had put some comparisons between old Enlish and Jewish and other Syrian languages and mentioned this now disproven theory.
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