Eleven lines of Beowulf (Old Wenthish)
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2018 11:31 am
As you may have seen, I've been working again on Wenthish, or at least on Old Wenthish for now. This is a Germanic language - clearly historically influenced by, but not a member of, the Ingvaeonic branch - spoken in the Wenthars (an archipelago northwest of Ireland, southwest of the Faroes) in, let's say, the 9th century or so. Its greatest external influence, at this time, has been from Ireland - the ruling class are at this point Irish monks - although on the large scale this influence has not been immense.
Since the language is broadly contemporaneous with Old English, and as the language resembles Old English in some ways (though not in others), it seemed natural to translate the famous first few lines of Beowulf.
So, here's the Old English, the Old Wenthish, and the pronunciation of the latter (which probably has some errors in it). I'll be back later to go through sentence by sentence to point out any interesting things.
For now, though: what are your impressions? Too similar to Old English? Too different?
[Alas, I don't know Old Saxon, Old Dutch, Old Norse or Old High German well enough to translate into those as well, for a better sense of where exactly it stands in the family. But the opinions of speakers of other Germanic languages would certainly be of interest...]
Old Wenthish:
Huat! Gāsa-denhō, uisfūthon ui glōirēn, theod-cuinningē in dagem iērō, huu ēchtō thā etheleng fremdon! Fram oft slōgō scethen, fram manegēm theodom, Sceald Scābing miod-setla abetāch; agesōd hi thā Eorolenn, bisīth uarth ērstē hi fand gahrinhena. Fāth fuilgendē hi dīned: uōx hi binithrē uolkenes; ūder ēosōm, hi thách; alla sui thammē ēgehuīlca ūbsittendō, atober sa huala-pethē, scoeld hīnno hluisniena, ād cāin-gealda fragebena himma – that was ēna gōda cuinning!
Old English:
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
Old Wenthish pronunciation:
/ʍatʷ/ /ɣʲaːzʲədʷejoː yzʲfʲuːþʷonʷ wi gʷlʷoːrʲeːnʲ þʷeoðʷkʷynʲnʲəŋʲgʲɛː inʲ dʷɑɣʲəmʷ jeːrʷoː/ /ʍu eːxʷtʷoː þʷaː ɛþʷəlʲəŋʷgʷ fʷrʷɛmʲðʲon/ /fʷrʷamʷ ofʷtʷ sʷlʷoːɣʷoː sʲkʲɛþʷənʷ fʷrʷamʷ mʷanʷəɣʲɛːmʷ þʲeoðʷomʷ/ /sʲkʲeəlʷðʷ sʲkʲaːβʷəŋʲgʲa mʲioðʷsʲetʷlʷa aβʷətʷaːxʷ/ /aɣʲesʲoːðʷ hʲi þʷaː eorʷolʷənʷnʷ bʲisʲiːþʲ wɑrʷþʷ ɛːrʲsʲtʲɛː hʲi fʷanʷdʷ ɣʲahʲrʲijənʷɑ/ /fʷaːþʷ fʷylʲɣʲənʲdʲɛː hʲi dʲiːnəðʷ/ /woːkʲsʲ hʲi bʲinʲiþʷrʷɛː wolʷkʷənʷəs uːðʷərʷ æozʲoːmʷ hʲi þʷaːxʷ/ /alʷlʷa sʷwi þʷamʷmʷɛː ɛːɣʲəʍiːlʷkʷa uːβʷsʲitʲtʲənʷdʷoː atʷoβʷər sʲa ʍalʷəpʷɛþʲɛː sʲkʲølʷdʷ hʲiːnʷnʷo aːðʲ kʷaːnʲɣʲeəlʷðʷa fʷrʷaɣʲeβʷənʷɑ hʲimʷmʷa/ /þʷatʷ wasʲ ēnʷa ɣōðʷa kʷynʲnʲəŋʲgʲ/
Since the language is broadly contemporaneous with Old English, and as the language resembles Old English in some ways (though not in others), it seemed natural to translate the famous first few lines of Beowulf.
So, here's the Old English, the Old Wenthish, and the pronunciation of the latter (which probably has some errors in it). I'll be back later to go through sentence by sentence to point out any interesting things.
For now, though: what are your impressions? Too similar to Old English? Too different?
[Alas, I don't know Old Saxon, Old Dutch, Old Norse or Old High German well enough to translate into those as well, for a better sense of where exactly it stands in the family. But the opinions of speakers of other Germanic languages would certainly be of interest...]
Old Wenthish:
Huat! Gāsa-denhō, uisfūthon ui glōirēn, theod-cuinningē in dagem iērō, huu ēchtō thā etheleng fremdon! Fram oft slōgō scethen, fram manegēm theodom, Sceald Scābing miod-setla abetāch; agesōd hi thā Eorolenn, bisīth uarth ērstē hi fand gahrinhena. Fāth fuilgendē hi dīned: uōx hi binithrē uolkenes; ūder ēosōm, hi thách; alla sui thammē ēgehuīlca ūbsittendō, atober sa huala-pethē, scoeld hīnno hluisniena, ād cāin-gealda fragebena himma – that was ēna gōda cuinning!
Old English:
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
Old Wenthish pronunciation:
/ʍatʷ/ /ɣʲaːzʲədʷejoː yzʲfʲuːþʷonʷ wi gʷlʷoːrʲeːnʲ þʷeoðʷkʷynʲnʲəŋʲgʲɛː inʲ dʷɑɣʲəmʷ jeːrʷoː/ /ʍu eːxʷtʷoː þʷaː ɛþʷəlʲəŋʷgʷ fʷrʷɛmʲðʲon/ /fʷrʷamʷ ofʷtʷ sʷlʷoːɣʷoː sʲkʲɛþʷənʷ fʷrʷamʷ mʷanʷəɣʲɛːmʷ þʲeoðʷomʷ/ /sʲkʲeəlʷðʷ sʲkʲaːβʷəŋʲgʲa mʲioðʷsʲetʷlʷa aβʷətʷaːxʷ/ /aɣʲesʲoːðʷ hʲi þʷaː eorʷolʷənʷnʷ bʲisʲiːþʲ wɑrʷþʷ ɛːrʲsʲtʲɛː hʲi fʷanʷdʷ ɣʲahʲrʲijənʷɑ/ /fʷaːþʷ fʷylʲɣʲənʲdʲɛː hʲi dʲiːnəðʷ/ /woːkʲsʲ hʲi bʲinʲiþʷrʷɛː wolʷkʷənʷəs uːðʷərʷ æozʲoːmʷ hʲi þʷaːxʷ/ /alʷlʷa sʷwi þʷamʷmʷɛː ɛːɣʲəʍiːlʷkʷa uːβʷsʲitʲtʲənʷdʷoː atʷoβʷər sʲa ʍalʷəpʷɛþʲɛː sʲkʲølʷdʷ hʲiːnʷnʷo aːðʲ kʷaːnʲɣʲeəlʷðʷa fʷrʷaɣʲeβʷənʷɑ hʲimʷmʷa/ /þʷatʷ wasʲ ēnʷa ɣōðʷa kʷynʲnʲəŋʲgʲ/