Linguistic situation in Britain from the 5th to 7th cc
It was traditional period from tribal and slave-owning to feudalism. Feudal manor was basic self-contained economic unit; grew its own food and carried some small industries to cover its needs. => there was little social intercourse between people from neighboring areas. Tribal and clan division was suppressed by townships and shires, which were local entities having no connection with kinship. Economic isolation and political disunity led to formation of new geographical boundaries between speech of different localities. Regional dialectal divisions replaced tribal with the growth of feudalism among Germanic settlers.
4 kingdoms at various times secured superiority in the country: Kent, Norhumbria, Mercia – during Early Old English, prewritten period, Wessex – all through the period of written OE
Supremacy of Kent – south of Humber lasted until 7th c. because of cultural superiority of Kent and its close contact with mainland. 7th-8th rise of Northumbria. During Mercia supremacy Wessex had secured control pf Sussex and Kent, was growing more influential.
Introduction of Christianity played crucial role in English language. First attempt to introduce roman Christian religion to Anglo-Saxon was made in 6th during supremacy of Kent. 597 group of missionaries from Rome dispatched by Pope Gregory the Great landed on the shore of Kent. Canterburry was their center from there new faith expanded to Kent, East Anglia, Essex and other places. North supported this movement. Celts who were christionazed during Roman empire brought their variety. In less than a c practically all England was Ch-ed. => centralization of the country. => strong impetus to cultural and learning growth, monasteries with schools all over the country, teaching in Latin.
Old English dialects. The peculiarities of linguistic situation of that period
The Germanic tribes (the 5th and 6th) spoke closely related tribial dialects belonging to the West Germanic group. Common origin, separation from related tongues, joint evolution in Britain transformed them into English. Old English dialect acquired common features which distinguished them from continental Germanic tongues, but it displayed growing regional divergence. Tribal dialectical division was suppressed by geographical division.
OE dialects :
Kentish, spoken in Kent and Surrey, Isle of Wight, developed from Jutes
West Saxon, rest of England south of the Themes and the Bristol Channel. Except Wales and Cornwall. Other Saxon dialects has not survived in written form
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Mercian, derived from speech of southern Angles, was spoken in kingdom Mercia, from Temes to Humber.
Northumbrian, anglien dialect, from Humber north to river Forth => northhumbrian.
Dialects passed into one another imperceptibly and dialectical forms were freely borrowed from one dialect into another. Throughout this period dialects were more or less equal.
In 8th c Northumbrian dialect became a leader. Writing was in Latin
9th political & cultural center moved to Wessex, wessex dialect was preserved in greater number of texts than other OE dialects.
Towards 11th written form of West Saxon developed into bookish type of language.
Thus in early OE from 5th -7th the would be English language consisted of a group of spoken tribal dialects having nether written nor a dominant form. At the time of written OE dialect – from tribal to regional; oral & written forms, no longer equal. West Saxon prevailed, Latin was used in writing.
Old English written records and Manuscripts
The earliest written record of E – runes. “Rune” means “secret” => denote inscriptions believed to be magic. Germanic tribes knew runic inscription long before they came to Britain (it was found in Scandinavia). These runes were used as letters, each symbol indicated separate sound. One rune could stand for all word (thorn)
Runic is a special Germanic alphabet not to be found in other language group. Latters are angular, lines preffered, curves avoided. To this day the origin of runes is a matter of conjecture. Runes in England were of more amounts – 28-33, 16-24 on continent. Runic texts were used to put magic on objects.
Franks Casket – the earliest runic inscription on a box. Made of whale bone, probably in Northumbria in 720, was presented to the British museum by british archeologist A.W. Franks. The panel of the casket is a remarkable illustration of the co-existence of pagan and Christian traditions in early Northumbria culture. The runic inscription on the panel is the sample of the Northumbrian dialect. The text above the pictures is to be read from left to right, it tells the story of the whale bone.
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Another short text on a stone cross Dumfriesshiere near village Ruthwell, known as “Ruthwell Cross”, (the middle of the 8th century). Each of the inscriptions contain a few lines from “the Dream of the Rood” – 10th century book of Old English poetry.
Many runic inscriptions have been preserved on weapons, coins, amulets, rings, cross fragments. Some runic inscriptions in OE occur in manuscripts written in Latin. The total number runic inscriptions – 40, the last belong to the end of OE.
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