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This book, the first grammar of the Old Saxon language written in English, is self-contained with its inclusion of selected readings from the Heliand epic and appropriate comparative readings from two interference dialects, Old High German and Old English. It introduces the reader, regardless of degree of linguistic training, to the basic structure of a Germanic dialect. As a diachronic synchrony (variation and change within the Old Saxon time frame), The Old Saxon Language is largely dictated by cognitive strategies needed to unravel semantically a sentence or larger piece of discourse. A semantic focus pervades the entire grammar, which proceeds in the best Berkeley tradition of prompting the student to mingle intellectually with researching faculty. Thus, many of the most sophisticated research problems surrounding the study of Old Saxon are addressed.
This accessible introductory reference source surveys the linguistic and cultural background of the earliest known Germanic languages and examines their similarities and differences. The Languages covered include:Gothic Old Norse Old SaxonOld English Old Low Franconian Old High German Written in a lively style, each chapter opens with a brief cultural history of the people who used the language, followed by selected authentic and translated texts and an examination of particular areas including grammar, pronunciation, lexis, dialect variation and borrowing, textual transmission, analogy and drift.
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This is a new approach to learning old English - as a living language. Leofwin and his family are your guides through six lively, entertaining, topic-based units. New vocabulary and grammar are presented in context, step by step, so that younger readers and non-language specialists can feel engaged rather than intimidated. The author has complemented the text with a wealth of illustrations throughout. This volume is the first part of the course.