Old English Language (Translation + Analysis)

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Mary-Chanti, Jan 10, 2014.

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  1. Mary-Chanti

    Mary-Chanti New Member

    Hey all,
    I have two questions concerning Old English. I have to analyse Old English nouns (gender, case, number, declension). I'm a German native speaker and I'm stuck with the following word: foran-hēafde. If I want to analyse a compound noun in Old English, which of the two nouns is the head noun?
    Also another problem: I have to translate these two sentences: Ðis dēor mid þȳ þe hit þæs wætres ondranc, þā behēold hit þā ūre wīċ-stōwe, ond þā semninga on ūs ond on ūre wīċ-stōwe rǣsde. Ne hit for þǣm bryne wandode þæs hātan lēġes ond fȳres þe him wæs onġēan, ac hit ofer eall wōd ond ēode.
    I translated it like that: This animal, when it drank (up) the water, then it beheld this our camp, and then suddenly (it) raced on us and our camp. It did not turn aside of the burning of the hot flame and fire that was against him, but it over all, trod and went.
    Is the sense correct? Does anybody mind helping me with the analysis and translation of the following words? Thank you very much.
     
  2. Balios

    Balios New Member

    The text is from Alexander's Letter to Aristotle. Andy Orchard translates the paragraph that contains these lines as follows (where he also translates your "foran-hēafde" as "the front of its head"):

    In addition to the other trials and difficulties which afflicted us there came suddenly one very huge beast bigger than the others. That beast had three horns on the front of its head and was fiercely armed with those horns. The Indians call the beast Dentestyrannus [rhinoceros]. The beast had a head like a horse, and was black in colour. Once this beast had drunk the water, it saw our camp-site, and immediately attacked us and our campsite. It was not put off by the burning of the hot fire and flame that was in its path, but it went and trod on everything. After I had rallied the force of the Greek army, and we tried to protect ourselves, it promptly slew twenty-six of my thegns in a single charge and trampled fifty-two, rendering them cripples who could be of no further use to me. And we determinedly shot at it with arrows and also with long-shafted spears until we slew and killed it.

    You can find the full translation here.
     

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