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18 September 2014
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Sound of the Saxons

Despite first appearances, the English we speak now is a direct descendant of Anglo-Saxon.

The word 'and' is represented like this Anglo-Saxon character representing the word 'the' in Anglo-Saxon. Try looking for examples in the manuscript like the one below and then see if you can hear the word when you listen to the speech.

Her syndan thurh synleawa, swa hit thincan maeg, sare gelewede to manege on earde. Her syndan mannslagan and maegslagan and maesserbanan and mynsterhatan, and her syndan mansworan and morthorwyrhtan and her syndan myltestran and bearnmyrthran and fule forlegene horingas manegeHer syndan thurh synleawa, swa hit thincan maeg, sare gelewede to manege on earde. Her syndan mannslagan and maegslagan and maesserbanan and mynsterhatan, and her syndan mansworan and morthorwyrhtan and her syndan myltestran and bearnmyrthran and fule forlegene horingas manegeHer syndan thurh synleawa, swa hit thincan maeg, sare gelewede to manege on earde. Her syndan mannslagan and maegslagan and maesserbanan and mynsterhatan, and her syndan mansworan and morthorwyrhtan and her syndan myltestran and bearnmyrthran and fule forlegene horingas manege

Her syndan thurh synleawa, swa hit thincan maeg, sare gelewede to manege on earde.
Her syndan mannslagan and maegslagan and maesserbanan and mynsterhatan, and her syndan mansworan and morthorwyrhtan
And her syndan myltestran and bearnmyrthran and fule forlegene horingas manege, and her syndan wiccan and waelcyrian,
And her syndan ryperas and reafaras and worolstruderas, and hroedest is to cwethenne, mana and misdaeda ungerim ealra.
And thaes us ne scamath na, ac us scamath swythe thaet we bote aginnan swa bec taecan, and thaet is thesyne on thysse earman forsyngodan theode.



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Sermon of the Wolf, Archbishop Wulfstan, 1014: '...here there are perjurers and murderers, and here there are whores and killers of children...'

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 Conquest
Conquest of Wessex Kings
Viking Conquest
After Viking Conquest
Norman Conquest
After Norman Conquest
Manuscript extract 1 in more detailManuscript extract 2 in more detailManuscript extract 3 in more detailManuscript extract 4 in more detailManuscript extract 5 in more detail




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