rǣde-cempa

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Hana Videen

rǣde-cempa, m.n: a mounted soldier. (RAD-uh-KEM-pa / ˈræː-də-ˌkɛm-pa)

Medieval manuscript image of a knight mounted on a horse with a long spear attacking a snail that sits on a leafy branch. — Brunetto Latini’s Li Livres dou Tresor; France (Picardy), c. 1315-1325; British Library, Yates Thompson MS 19, f. 65r. [blogs.bl.uk]

feormere

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Hana Videen

feormere, m.n: one who supplies with food, purveyor. (FEH-or-meh-ruh / ˈfɛɔr-mɛ-rə)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is a reading from The Seafarer. Hear it on Patreon.

aspide

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Hana Videen

aspide, m/f.n: asp. (AH-spih-duh / ˈa-spɪ-də)

Medieval manuscript image amidst Latin text of a coiled blue and green snake plugging one of its ears with its tail. — Rabanus Maurus’ De rerum naturis; S Germany (Heidelberg?), 1425; Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 291, f. 93r. [digi.vatlib.it]

simbel-gefēra

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Hana Videen

simbel-gefēra, m.n: one who continually goes with another, a constant companion. (SIM-bell-yeh-VAY-ra / ˈsɪm-bɛl-jɛ-ˌveː-ra)

If you use the free Wordhord iOS App, you can now become a Constant Companion and support the Wordhord (a two-person, husband-and-wife, developer-and-medievalist team). Look for the dragon head icon to learn more.

Medieval manuscript image of various animals following a large, dark-coloured cat with brightly coloured spots, who is approaching a swirly mound containing a winged two-legged dragon. — Aberdeen Bestiary; England, c. 1200; Aberdeen University Library, MS 24, f. 9r. [abdn.ac.uk]

iū-wine

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Hana Videen

iū-wine, m.n: a friend of old or former times. (IH-yew-WIN-uh / ˈɪuː-ˌwɪ-nə)

þrotu

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Hana Videen

þrotu, f.n: the throat. (THROT-uh / ˈθrɔ-tʌ)

Medieval manuscript image of a creature that resembles a bizarre horse but with a somewhat flattened snout and a huge toothless mouth that stretches ear to ear and a long neck. — Leucrota from the Ashmole Bestiary; England (Peterborough?), early 13th century; Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 1511, f. 22r. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

wordlung

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Hana Videen

wordlung, f.n: (in a good sense) discourse, conversation; (in a bad sense) idle talk, babbling, chattering.

sēcan

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Hana Videen

sēcan, wk.v: to try to find, to look for, to search for. (SAY-kahn / ˈseː-kan)

An iPhone showing the Wordhord app with the word dragon in a search field and the word lig-draca displayed above with the definition flame-dragon or fire-breathing dragon and a medieval manuscript image of a red dragon. The phone sits on a hardcover copy of The Deorhord open to a page with a heading “Where a dragon belongs”. — The Wordhord iOS App now has the ability to search the entire archive using modern English or Old English. Go to bit.ly/WordhordApp or search “Old English Wordhord” on the App Store.

eofor

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Hana Videen

eofor, m.n: wild boar. (EH-ov-or / ˈɛɔ-vɔr)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post answers the question ‘How many fish are there in the sea?’ Read it on Patreon.

fisca cynn

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Hana Videen

fisca cynn, n: fish-kind. (FISK-ah KUEN / ˈfɪ-ska ˈkyn)

Medieval manuscript image of an assortment of sea creatures, some fairly realistic looking fish, others more fantastical, such as a mer-horse, a horned mer-lion and a sea dragon. — Harley Bestiary; England, c. 1230-40; British Library, Harley 4751, f. 68r. [bl.uk]

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