Grammar Terms in Old English
The following grammatical terms describe how the English people
before 1066 described grammar terms in Old English.
Words describing Written Words
acute (accent) - gescierpt
consonantal - samodswégende adj
lengthened - adj getogen
long (of vowels) - adj getogen
semi-vowel – adj healfclypigende
vocal - swégendlic adj
Types of Words
adjectival – adj tógeíecendlic
adjective – adj tógeíecendlic
adverb – bíword n
demonstrative - éowigendlic adj, ætýwigendlic
interjection - betwuxálegednes f, betwuxáworpennes f
noun - nama m
preposition - foresetnes f, foresetenes f,
foresetednes f
pronoun - forenama m, bínama
m
verb – word n
Characteristics of Words
incapable of being used alone (of the inseparable prepositions)
- gesprǽcelic adj
Grammatical Terms About Conjunctions
disjunctive – adj áscirigendlic
Grammatical Terms About Nouns
Cases - cásas
ablative – adj ætbrédendlic, ætbregdendlic
accusative - wrégendlic adj
dative - forgifendlic
adj
genitive – ágniendlic
nominative – bícnendlic, nemniendlic, nemnigendlic adj,
possessive, genitive (case) - ágniendlic1
vocative adj – clipigendlic, tóclypigendlic
Number
plural - manigfealdlic adj
singular – adj ánfald, ánfeald, ánfealdlic
Gender – se hád
feminine - wíflic
masculine - werlic
Other
declining with cases - gebígendlic adj
diminutive - waniendlic adj
indeclinable – adj
ungebígendlic
subject to inflection - declínigendlic adj
Verbs
Moods - þæt met1
imperative – bebéodendlic
indicative – bícnendlic, gebícniendlic, gebícnigendlic adj
optative (mood) – gewýscendlic
adj
passive – adj þrówiendlic, þrówigendlic
subjunctive - underþéodendlic adj, underþéodenlic adj
Tenses
future - tóweardnes f
past tense - forðgewiten tíd/tíma
past - adj beleorendlic
present – andweard adj
present time - andweardnes f
Verb Forms
infinitive - ungeendigendlic adj
participle - dǽlnimend m,
se nimenda dǽl
supine – adj capiende [the gerund form of the verb]
supine - úpáwend adj
Types of Verbs
copulative – adj geþéodendlic
casum niman to take a case (of the government
of verbs): “wesan” nimð nemniendlicne casum
Adjectives
comparative (in grammar) - wiðmetenlic adj, wiðmetendlic
adj
superlative - oferstígendlic adj
Words Describing Nouns and Adjectives
case – gebígednes f, ~ (grammatical) cásus m;
casum niman to take a case (of the government of verbs)
declension - declínung f, gebígednes f
decline - declínian wv/t2
decline a part of speech –
wv/t1b gebíegan
declining with cases - gebígendlic adj
Word separators
clause – tódál n
comma – tódál n
conclusion of a sentence - clýsung
f
period - clýsung f
period – tódál n
Word Descriptions
defective – adj átéorigendlic, átéoriendlic
dehortative - mistihtendlic adj
derivative - ofgangende adj
derivative - ofgangendlic adj
derivative - sciriendlic adj
enclitic [] adj áhyldendlic
inchoative - onginnendlic adj
Grammar Definitions
art of grammar - grammaticcræft m
consonantal - samodswégende
adj
example – bisen f, n, bisene f, n,
bisenung f
excerpt – átwiccian
explanation - glésing f
express figuratively – bisenian
follow an example or pattern – bisenian
give/set an example – bisenian
gloss – glésan
glossing - glésing f
grammarian - grammaticere m
grammatical – adj grammatic
grammatical fault - stæfleahtor m
inflect a part of speech –
wv/t1b gebíegan
inflection – gebígednes f
inflection (subject to ~) - declínigendlic adj
inflectional - gebígendlic adj
instruct by example – bisenian
interrogative [] adj ásciendlic
model – bisen f, n, bisene f,
n
pattern – bisen f, n, bisene f,
n, bisenung f
prepositive - foresettendlic adj
proper – adj ágen1
subject to inflection - declínigendlic adj
vowel - selfswégend m
vowel - swégendlic adj
Numbers
ordinal - endebyrdlic adj
thesaurus - gǽrsuma m - based on the definition of this word in English,
and the Latin definition of thesaurus |
