Category Archives: measuring

hwēol-lāst

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hwēol-lāst, m.n: the track left by a wheel; a completed cycle, a recurrent round, circuit or orbit. (HWAY-oll-LAHST / ˈhweːɔl-ˌlaːst)

Medieval manuscript illustration of the zodiac as a wheel, with illustrations of the different signs between the spokes with Latin text.
Matfre Ermengaud, Breviari d’Amor; S France (Toulouse?), early 14th century; British Library, Royal MS 19 C I, f. 37r. [bl.uk]

eahta

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eahta, n/adj/num: eight (8). (EH-ah-ta / ˈɛax-ta)

One week from today is the Wordhord’s 8th birthday… and what better way to celebrate than by releasing The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English? Find out more!

The back cover of a book against a background of woven textiles. The cover background is white with a gold and red border with decorative gold dots. The text within an arched window shape are quotations from Edward Brooke-Hitching and David Crystal. ‘A blurb for the book says: ‘Ever seen the beauty of neorxnawang? Heard of a gafol-fisc? Or spoken a word? When is un-tima, and why is it a time to do nothing? And what exactly is bee-bread? Come, reader, the wordhord is unlocked… A border of Old English words surrounds the window: blowan, cwen-fugol, uht, feond-scipe, mona, cen, æppel-tun, wyrd-writere, cu-wearm, wif, and flod-wudu. The area surrounding the Old English word border has wood-cut style illustrations in red and gold, each in its own compartment but overlapping slightly: a flower, a rooster, the sun, a sword, the moon and stars, a torch, grapes on a vine, and a monk writing in a book.

seofon

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seofon, n/adj/num: seven (7). (SEH-ov-on / ˈsɛɔ-vɔn)

The Old English Wordhord is 7 years old today!

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is on the number 7. Read it on Patreon.

Medieval manuscript image of the Roman numeral for 7.
Chronicle (for years 60 BCE-CE 977). England, late 10th century. British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius A VI, f. 2v. [bl.uk]