The Englisc List Website—A Forum for Composition in Old English is a treasure trove of material for people who want to use Old English, not just make their way through Beowulf with a glossary.
While some discussion is conducted in Old English, a lot of it is not; but activity on this list aims primarily to: 1) compose a message or an original text in Old English, 2) translate a modern or medieval text into Old English, 3) participate in ongoing projects devoted to the above, 4) comment on the contributions, 5) offer something new, 6) pose questions about grammar and vocabulary, 7) be tremendously entertaining while remaining relevant, or 8) just lurk and learn.I particularly like the New Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, whose most recent entry reads:
[Anno MMIV Hrešmonaš]
- xix d: Ymb žisne dęg ymb Wala ceastre in Suš-Waziristan provinciam in Pakistane Pakistanes fyrd fohte wiš beorgweargum ond Bin Ladenes heafodžegne, ond neah in Afghnistane Americisce fuhton wiš Talibaniscum.
(Via the effervescent and irreplaceable ElizaD in Wordorigins.)
Posted by languagehat at March 24, 2004 09:57 PMgeneahhe interesting! it hwettan min hungor fore dat ongytenes. (of course, please correct that!)
Posted by: jean-pierre at March 24, 2004 10:44 PMNice one yeah. But why are they calling the Taliban scum?
Posted by: commonbeauty at March 25, 2004 12:34 AM:-) "isc" = "ish" and "-um" is the dative plural ending. So "with Talibaniscum" means "against (more than one) Taliban-ish (person.)"
Posted by: dale at March 25, 2004 02:27 PMUh, I'm pretty sure commonbeauty was joking, in his poker-faced way. But it's just as well you explained it for those keeping score at home.
Posted by: language hat at March 25, 2004 02:54 PMYeah, I reckoned he pro'bly was. But you never know. Even Homer nods. He can't know everything about art and music *and* dead languages, can he?
Posted by: dale at March 25, 2004 04:30 PMHomer is in my case perpetually nodding frantically.
I know no dead languages.
But yes, I was joking, the Taliban are definitely not scum. They're wankers, and there IS a difference.
Old English: is beautiful, is spooky, is what I would have studied if I could have found the funds to do it in England. Funds. England. Ha ha.
As it is, I'm stuck with Flemish painting which is sooo much more practical.
Posted by: commonbeauty at March 25, 2004 05:40 PMAlways the eye for the main chance, that's you :-)
Posted by: dale at March 26, 2004 09:29 AMJoshua Burton passed along this from Kevin Wald (http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~wald/lit/):
Thes sind tha staepstaeru steorrascipes
Enterprise. His aerende fif geara*:
Wendan ofer worlda, wundorlica ond niwa;
Uncuthu cwicnesse ond cynnu secan;
Faestlice faran hwaer beforan man ne eode.
*fif geara] MS B has standend
Posted by: Anton Sherwood at March 30, 2004 01:59 AM