[PLEASE READ DESCRIPTION] Interview with an Anglo-Saxon in Old English

DISCLAIMER: This obviously isn't an actual Anglo-Saxon, it's me in a sheet.

*RETROACTIVE DISCLAIMER* - The Old English in this video comes from a time when I was much more interested in modern and recent dialectology, and is full of grammatical errors (and a number of pronunciation errors, as well). This should absolutely not be used as a reference text for somebody wishing to learn Old English; its main value now is in showing how different Old English is from Modern English, and in presenting an ancient language in a conversational context. My more recent videos are more focused on phonology (which I can talk confidently about) and contain fewer errors when I do use grammatical constructions, although there will certainly still be some dotted about. I'm in the process of making a short film in Old English which I hope to check with somebody else so that the speech is both natural and period-accurate.

*Original Description*

A fun little thing to show reconstructed pronunciation of Old English in a casual setting. I've tried to throw in a few natural abbreviations (for example 'c rather than ic), but I know I missed the mark on one or two of the diphthongs. Either way, hopefully this gives some idea as to how the language sounded in casual speech. Message or comment if you'd like any clarifications, want to correct me on anything, or if you're just interested in the topic and would like to know more!

I didn't have any decent Anglo-Saxon clothing and, rather than cobble together something inaccurate, I just chucked on a linen sheet to hide my modern shirt. An actual Anglo-Saxon would be wearing something more like the reenactors shown in a couple of the other clips; a man would usually wear a tunic with a belt, although styles would vary massively from decade to decade and from place to place.

[teenyweenykiwi]

That moment when you need to translate English into English.

[amarat.]

Sounds like a danish guy who got drunk, moved to Germany, had a stroke, and then forgot danish, went to college in Scotland, than relearned danish, then he put on a sheet and went in a time machine

[pac-ice-tan]

Microsoft Windows: select Language
English (UK)
English (US)
English (Anglo Saxon) ✔️

[charlieackla]

My brain: *Is this English?*


Me: *yesn't*

[XumolsTV]

It actually sounds like English back in the days when I didn't know English

[sharpshooter]

This is what the doctor's hand writing sounds like.

[reoreborn]

"DISCLAIMER: This obviously isn't an actual Anglo-Saxon, it's me in a sheet.
"
Best video disclaimer ever lmao

[augustjschroeder]

Lol I love how he's just like "I have 100 sheep, some cattle, what else... Oh yeah a wife, too!"

[boris-fv]

"not an actual anglo-saxon, it's me in a sheet" best description

[patrickmuller]

German here: I can understand him better when I accept this as a german dialect as If I'd try to understand it as english.

[bradwooldidge]

I feel that I should be able to understand him, but I can’t.

[zojo]

This is the best impresonation of a documentary i have ever seen.

[XneverstopfightingX]

This has the same energy as that “what English sound like to non English speakers” video.

[timothycook]

Now this is what I call immersive journalism

[alexlongthorne]

I teach English in Japan. Today my English club kids were suddenly very interested in old English so I played this for them. They really enjoyed it, thanks!

[themax]

I'm Flemish (northern part of Belgium) and my dialect sounds very much the same as old English, I can understand quite a lot of it. Before the French influence (1066 French invasion) English sounded very differently, more Germanic. I can easily understand old English, especially when I see it in written.

[joaogomes]

"Can you speak any new english at all?"
"Nhyeawuh"

[samedman]

Fluent in Dutch here.

Sounds like a dutchman who had a stroke.

[JeffreyB]

Imagine pressing 1 for English and getting that guy for the help desk.

[toomaskarmo]

One of the best things on YouTube: creative, instructive, sensitive. Please don't stop. Ic þancie þē, þæt is gōd. - (signed) Toomas Karmo, in Nõo Rural Municipality, Estonia