OLD ENGLISH WORD-STOCK (OEW)

1. ETYMOLOGY
1.1. Native words
a) Common Indo-European words:
Latin - frāter; Russian – брат; Gothic – brōþar; Old English - brōþor
sedēre сидеть sitan sittan
b) Specifically Germanic words:
Gothic – handus; OE – hand; OHG - hant
siggwan singan singan
c) specifically OE words:
wimman, hlāford, hlāfdige
Hlāford = hlāf (loaf) + weard (ward) > “bread-guarding”
Hlāfdige = hlāf (loaf) + dige (knead) > “bread-kneading”
(Gothic - hlaiba, Russian – хлеб)

1. ETYMOLOGY
1.2. Borrowings
Latin borrowings:
a) trade and household:
Latin - pondō; Gothic – pund; OHG – pfunt; OE - pund; ModE – pound
discus - tisc disc disk
b) names of Roman settlements and defensive works:
Latin – strāta; castra; OE – strēt; ceaster; ModE – street; military camp
>Lancaster, Manchester, Devonport, Portsmouth
c) religion and learning:
Latin – episcopos; schola; OE – biscop; scōl; ModE – bishop; school
d) “translation loan-words”:
Latin – Lunedies; OE – Mōnandeg; ModE – Monday
Martis dies (Mars); Tiwesdeg (Tiu) Tuesday
e) derivatives with the suffix –arius:
Latin – tolōnārius (tax-gatherer); OE – tōlnere
Latin – scholārius (scholar); OE – scōlere
New derivatives in OE: fiscere (fisher), writere (writer), becere (baker).

1. ETYMOLOGY
1.2. Borrowings
Celtic borrowings
a) place-names: Duncombe, Estcombe <
OE – cumb > ModE (dial.) comb – “a small valley” (Welsh cwm)
OE – dūn > ModE down - “hill” (O.Irish dun)
b) the names of rivers, mountains and towns:
ModE (dial.) loch < Gæl. loch „lake“.

2. WORD-FORMATION
2.1. Simple words
2.2. Derived words:
a) Sound alternations in the root-morpheme:
OE sprēcan (to speak) – OE sprēce (speech)
OE sittan (sit) – OE settan (set)
b) affixation: suffixation and prefixation
Prefixation: mis – OE miscweþan (speak incorrectly),
un – OE unwisdōm (unwisdom)
Suffixation: -estre – OE becestre (woman-baker),
-nes, -nis – OE blindness (blindness);
OE lic (“a body”) > –ly: OE daglic (daily).

2. WORD-FORMATION
2.3. Word-composition (compound words)
a) primary compounds:
nouns: OE mid + niht (midnight),
verbs: OE dæl-niman (take part); OE ful-fyllan (fulfil),
“bahuvrihi” (in poetry): ber-fōt “bare-footed” (lit. “bare foot”)
b) secondary compounds:
OE rēdes-man “councilor” (lit. “a man of advice”, rēdes is Gen. Sing. of rād “advice” + man “man”.