bōc-cist

bōc-cist, f.n: a repository for books, either for reading or for sale. (BOAK-CHIST / ˈboːk-ˌtʃɪst)

Look for The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English at your local bōc-cist – it’s out in the US & Canada today! Find out more.

A book, The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English, by Hana Videen, against a background of woven textiles. The cover background is white with a gold and red border with decorative gold dots. The title and author’s name are written inside an arched window shape, with a border of Old English words surrounding it: wæfre-gange, gafol-fisc, hring-finger, on-lucan, cwen, æg, dust, beo-gang, lig-draca, wyrd, dream-cræft, hærfest, and druncen-georn. 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 spider, a fish, the letter h in a calligraphic style, a hand with a ring, a key, a woman carrying a basket of eggs, a bee, a dragon, an ink pot and quill with scroll of paper, a man playing a harp, a bundle of wheat, and a goblet. — Published in the UK by Profile Books on 11 November 2021. Published in the US and Canada by Princeton University Press today.

mancus

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Hana Videen

mancus, m.n: gold coin (4.25g gold), unit of currency worth 30 silver pence (about a month’s wages for a skilled worker, such as a craftsman or a soldier). (MAHN-kuss / ˈman-kʌs)

Mancus; England, reign of Coenwulf (796-821); British Museum 2006,0204.1. [britishmuseum.org]

up-færeld

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Hana Videen

up-færeld, m/n.n: a journey up, an ascension. (UP-FAE-reld / ˈʌp-ˌfæ-rɛld)

Colourful letter P in a medieval manuscript, inside the loop of which is an old man in a chariot drawn by two horses ascending into the sky; fish swim in the water below. — Rochester Bible; England, 12th century; British Library, Royal MS 1 C VII, f. 154v. [blogs.bl.uk]

gamen-wāþ

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Hana Videen

gamen-wāþ, n: joyful path, joyous journey. (GAH-men-WAHTH / ˈga-mɛn-ˌwaːθ)

ge-lendan

Posted on February 4, 2022 by Hana Videen

ge-lendan, wk.v: to approach, come, arrive, go, proceed. (yeh-LEN-dahn / jɛ-ˈlɛn-dan)

hām-sīþ

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Hana Videen

hām-sīþ, m.n: journey home. (HAHM-SEETH / ˈhaːm-ˌsiːθ)

æl-þīodig

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Hana Videen

æl-þīodig, adj: foreign. (AEL-THEE-oh-dih / ˈæl-ˌθiːɔ-dɪj)

Patrons, don’t forget to send your word requests for Goldgifa Week! Find out more on Patreon.

wīd-floga

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Hana Videen

wīd-floga, m.n: wide-flier, one that takes wide flights. (WEED-FLOH-ga / ˈwiːd-ˌflɔ-ga)

Medieval manuscript image of five yellowish birds flying towards another bird walking on the ground and looking up at them; another bird in the air flies the opposite direction. — Bestiary; N Italy, c. 1290; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.459, f. 18v. [ica.themorgan.org]

cēol

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Hana Videen

cēol, m.n: ship, sea-going vessel. (CHAY-oll / ˈtʃeːɔl)

Medieval manuscript image of king and his men in a ship on a stormy, fish-filled sea; the prow is shaped like an animal head, and a two hairy faces in the sky blow air towards the ship. — John of Worcester’s Chronicle; England (Worcester), 1128-1140; Bodleian Library, Corpus Christi College MS 157, f. 383. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

stigel

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Hana Videen

stigel, f.n: a stile, set of steps for getting over a fence. (STIH-yell / ˈstɪ-jɛl)

Old English Wordhord

Old English Word of the Day

Category Archives: travel + trade