Learning old [insert language name]

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1

Greetings,


I have considered for some time now to learn old norse, old english and old german, (not necessarily in this order, certainly not at the same time).

Can anyone recommend me some fine resources to study them? If it is not useless to mention, I am primarily interested in literature, v.g., Beowulf, the nordic sagas, Nibelungenlied.

Many thanks in advance. :smiley:

2

For Old Norse and Old English there are specific books — I’ve seen a couple, but won’t name them since I have no idea whether they’re any better or any worse than the alternatives.

For Old German, and I’m guessing you mean Mittelhochdeutsch?, my best advice is to learn German, and then go from there, complementing it with textbooks only once you’re done with that first part. It’s obviously different, but whenever I’ve had to deal with texts written in it I’ve often thought that the relation is much akin to that of Modern English to Middle English on the one hand and to Old English on the other. In that where Old English can be learnt as its own language, it would make no sense to learn Middle English by itself, rather it’s much easier to go from Modern to the “Middle” medieval language.

Of course, if you did mean Old German, ignore what I said. :slight_smile:

3

If you already know German, and want to be able to read the Nibelungenlied, you might want to start with an audio version. You find that it’s closer to modern German than you might guess from looking at the words on the page. A friend of mine once made fun of me for asking after his Weib.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0-XLR8la00

Beowulf, on the other hand, is mostly unintelligible to me apart from snatches:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmmPRG4smU

Here is some Old Icelandic (the guy on the right is speaking modern Icelandic):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq0aIsiZ44o

4

When we speak of German we actually mean High German (distinct from Low German of the north). Within High German there are (as attested) the stages of Old High German (OHG), Middle High German (MHG), and Modern High German (MoHG). OHG has six quite different dialects. MHG is more uniform, and it’s the language of the Nibelungenlied. Reclam has published MHG texts (including the Nibelungenlied) with MoHG translation on the adjacent page, i.e. in the Loeb fashion.

Of Old Norse (most of it strictly speaking actually Old Icelandic) you may or may not find some support from Dr. Jackson Crawford’s Youtube channel. However, do not fail to purchase some other material in book form, as well.

5

MHG is more uniform, and it’s the language of the Nibelungenlied.



and I’m guessing you mean Mittelhochdeutsch?

Good
 To know the proper name of the language is a fine start. :smiley:

my best advice is to learn German, and then go from there, complementing it with textbooks only once you’re done with that first part.



If you already know German, and want to be able to read the Nibelungenlied, you might want to start with an audio version.

I know german already
 I have to confess that I fell for the Weib thing too
 In my case I have the Ollendorff reader to blame. :smiley:

I took the time hear the Nibelungen recording and found quite amusing that I was able to grasp it in part


Btw, the Beowulf recitation is quite powerful — if I can use this word. :smiley:

do not fail to purchase some other material in book form, as well.



then go from there, complementing it with textbooks


Any recomendations on this front?! I have a copy of An Icelandic Primer, by Henry Sweet; who in turn mentions Icelandic Reader by Vigfusson and Powell as a must have. Anyone knows either one of them?

But besides some brief summaries, like this one, http://www.fabianbross.de/mittelhochdeutsch.pdf, I dont have anything to go Middle german or old english. :frowning:

Cheers.

p.s.: it does not seem a good a idea to touch inappropriately anyone, especially if he has a sharp axe. Also: the charred lamb’s head is not appetizing in any way.