Old English with Mark Atherton

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The Language Podcast with Richard Simcott

Richard Simcott

15 episodes

9 months ago

If you love learning about language - about its diversity and evolution, and where our modern words come from - then this is the podcast for you. Join language-lover and hyperpolyglot Richard Simcott as he learns valuable lessons and interesting facts from some of the world’s foremost language experts. The first series is all about the evolution of English - from its roots in Old English to where it might be headed in the future. The second series is a toolkit for all you language learners out there - whether you’re learning for the first time, or adding another language to your arsenal.

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Society & Culture

Education,

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Old English with Mark Atherton

The Language Podcast with Richard Simcott

39 minutes 43 seconds

2 years ago

Old English with Mark Atherton

Join us as we delve into the rich history of Old English and its enduring influence on Modern English with Dr Mark Atherton, lecturer at the University of Oxford. Discover the origins of the language of Chaucer and the epic Beowulf, and explore the differences between Old, Middle and Modern English.

“In a way you could say that Old English is still with us. It's the language that each generation has been passing on.”

The English language is full of contradictory rules and peculiarities. That’s because it’s a hybrid language, one which has evolved over many years. To make sense of it, we must go back in time and look at its roots in Old English.

Dr Mark Atherton is a lecturer and author on the subject of Old English at the University of Oxford, and in this episode he tells us how it’s changed to become the language we know today. He shares some of the fascinating phrases and words that make up Old English, like 'overmodiness' and ‘hus’. From Beowulf to Chaucer, he discusses and translates moments from some of the most famous works of Old English literature.

Check out Mark’s book Complete Old English: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading and Understanding Old English, with Original Texts.

For a special treat, listen to Mark’s full musical rendition of the Old English poem Riddle 60 here.

Find out more about our sponsor, Teach Yourself here and sign up to their newsletter. Teach Yourself is offering listeners of The Language Podcast a special 30% discount on all language eBooks, including Mark Atherton’s Complete Old English. Just enter code TYPOD30 at checkout. You can then access the title online, or download it to the accompanying Teach Yourself app. Please note: You will not be able to save the files to your computer.

Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.

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