English Language History
‘Sumer is icumen in’
‘Sumer is icumen in’ in both Audio and text versions. Middle English Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu! Groweş sed and bloweş med And springş şe wde nu, Sing cuccu! Awe bleteş a…
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Every article on the history of English, newest first.
English Language History
Short Poem & Numbers in Modern Frisian
Short Poem & Numbers in Modern Frisian in both Audio and text versions. Modern Frisian Būter, brea, en griene tsiis, Wa't dat net sizze kin is gjin oprjochte Fries. Ien, twa, trije…
English Language History
Nigerian Pidgin English
Nigerian Pidgin English in both Audio and text versions. Nigerian Pidgin English How Bodi. How You Dey? I dey fine. Why you dey give me wahala? Your story get k-leg! Abeg! No waste…
English Language History
The Lord’s Prayer in Old English
The Lord’s Prayer in Old English in both Audio and text versions with Middle English and Modern English translations. Old English Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum, si þin nama geha…
English Language History
Excerpt from ‘Le Chanson de Roland’ in Norman French
Excerpt from ‘Le Chanson de Roland’ in Norman French in both Audio and text versions. Anglo-Norman Carles li reis, nostre emperere magnes, Set anz tuz pleins ad estét en Espaigne:…
English Language History
Birhtwold’s Speech from ‘The Battle of Maldon’
Birhtwold’s Speech from ‘The Battle of Maldon’ in both Audio and text versions. Old English Hyge sceal þy heardra, heorte þy cenre, Mod sceal þy mare þy ure mægen lytlaþ. Her ligeþ…
English Language History
Beginning of the ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’
Beginning of the ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ in both Audio and text versions. Middle English Sişen şe sege and şe assaut watz sesed at troye Şe bor3 brittened and brent to br…
English Language History
Beginning of the Prologue of Beowulf
Beginning of the Prologue of Beowulf in both Audio and text versions. Old English Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scy…
English Language History
Beginning of the General Prologue to Chaucers Canterbury Tales
Beginning of the General Prologue to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in both Audio and text versions. Middle English Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath pe…
English Language History
Passage from the ‘Ormulum’
Passage from the ‘Ormulum’ in both Audio and text versions. Middle English Þiss boc iss nemmnedd Orrmulum, Forr þi þatt Orrm itt wrohhte. Icc hafe wennd inntill Ennglissh Goddspell…
English Language History
Example of the American Dialect
Example of the American Dialect in audio format with text transcript. Please call Stella. Ask her to bring these things with her from the store: Six spoons of fresh snow peas, five…
English Language History
Babu English: an ornate English used in Indian legal circles
Babu English: an ornate English used in Indian legal circles in both Audio and text versions. Sir, It is submitted here for your kind and sympathetic consideration, and we are at t…