Episode 40: Learning Latin and Latin Learning
Long before the Normans arrived in England, the Anglo-Saxons were borrowing Latin words from the monastic culture which was emerging in the 7th and 8th centuries. In this episode, we explore the sprea...
21 Mars 201455min
Episode 39: Not Lost in Translation
The early Christian Church in Britain gradually embraced English as a way to spread to the message of the Church to the masses. This required the translation of Christian words and concepts from Lati...
5 Mars 201449min
Episode 38: Nobles, Nuptials and a Cowherd Poet
The kingdom of Northumbria emerged as a center of scholarship and learning during the 7th century. We explore the political and religious events which led to the Northumbrian Renaissance. We also expl...
17 Feb 20141h 5min
Episode 37: Seafarers, Poets and Traveling Minstrels
Old English poets were ‘word weavers’ who often created new words to comply with the strict requirements of Germanic poetry. In this episode, we explore the role of the traveling minstrel in Anglo-Sax...
21 Jan 20141h 6min
Episode 36: Finalizing the Alphabet
We complete our look at the first Old English alphabet by exploring the remaining letters of the original alphabet. The north-south divide resulted in distinct letters and different spelling conventi...
23 Dec 201342min
Episode 35: English Sounds and Roman Letters
As the sounds of English evolved in the 7th century, the first English scribes began to write the language with the Roman alphabet. But the English scribes had to invent ways to represent the unique ...
12 Dec 201356min
Episode 34: Sounds Like Old English
The sound of English began to change as soon as the first Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain. We explore the specific sound changes which occurred and the impact which those changes had on modern English...
27 Nov 201343min
Episode 33: Missionaries and Manuscripts
In this episode, we explore the events which led to the first document written in the English language – the laws of Aethelbert of Kent. We look at the rise of monasteries, the role of St. Patrick in...
7 Nov 201349min
