I borrowed this from the library, and I liked it so well that I bought my own copy. It’s definitely worth having on hand. It’s divided into two parts,I borrowed this from the library, and I liked it so well that I bought my own copy. It’s definitely worth having on hand. It’s divided into two parts, a grammar and a reader.
Grammar: This section is straightforward and quite brief. As such, it does not weigh us down with all the complexities of the language. Many of the other books I’ve read have long grammar sections at the beginning, while the readings are brief and often relegated to the appendix. This approach is different, as it lays out only the basics that are needed for comprehension, and then it lets readers dive right in to the selections. As fond as I am of grammar, I must say that I found this approach refreshing. After all, language isn’t learnt in a vacuum; it’s an ongoing, practical experience. This was also the approach favored by Thomas Jefferson, an early champion of the Old English language in the United States. Jefferson believed that the best way for students to learn Old English was to give them reading material and let them have a go at it. I have read several books that teach Old English, but this one’s heavy focus on the texts themselves makes it, perhaps, the most interesting way to learn.
Reader: This is possibly the richest collection of Old English texts that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. There is some history, lifted directly from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, as well as the Preface written by King Alfred the Great to Pope Gregory’s Pastoral Care. The poetry section begins with the oldest poem in the English language and continues to include such classics as “The Dream of the Rood,” “The Seafarer,” and “The Wanderer.” Poetry describing battles, religious poems, elegies, wisdom poems, riddles—this collection includes the major Old English genres in a single slender volume.
What makes this book different from the others: I have read several books on Old English, but I’ve never read one quite like this. For one thing, it is rare in a grammar book that the author’s personality shines through, but one’s does, and it’s charming. For example, in the preface, Diamond writes, “In order to keep this book simple, it has seemed best to dispense with notes, which students are unlikely to consult anyway.” And Diamond has done some things a bit different: “Because beginners in a language have enough trouble without being obliged to wrestle with a shifting and often irrational orthography, all Old English texts are presented here in regularized spelling.” I also greatly enjoyed the Modern English translations to all the Old English texts. Diamond says, “Because it is a waste of time for students to guess and to wonder if they have hit upon the correct translation, all Old English texts are here provided with literal facing-page translations.” I found this side-by-side translation immensely helpful. Confident that I knew the correct meaning, I was able to read it slowly and carefully, paying attention to the case and syntax. I think I learned more this way, knowing what it meant and trying to discern why, than I did from other Old English books, trying to figure out what. Finally, this book has provided more information about pronunciation than any other book I’ve read. Here, the book provides a different form for the letter G when it distinguishes between the different ways it’s pronounced in different words. Other books include diacritical marks for the letter G, so that by itself isn’t unusual. However, Diamond also distinguishes between the thorn and the eth, using the thorn only for voiced sounds and the eth only for the unvoiced. I’ve never seen this before—certainly the scribes of the Middle Ages used the two letters interchangeably—but as a modern reader, I greatly benefitted from the visual aid with regard to pronunciation.
All in all, an excellent aid that gives its readers the chance to learn the language by reading original writings in Old English, rather than by reading about Old English. Smart, practical, and endlessly engaging....more
A solid introduction that can easily be used by someone with no prior knowledge of Old English. Baker’s book is well organized, easy to reference, andA solid introduction that can easily be used by someone with no prior knowledge of Old English. Baker’s book is well organized, easy to reference, and for the most part, clear with its explanations. I have read several books on the Old English language, and this is easily one of the best. It has different chapters on different parts of speech; he uses headings and subheadings to make it easy to go back and check something. He incorporates “minitexts” throughout, which are short, usually only about a paragraph in length. He has longer texts at the back. The glossary is clear and complete, telling not only a word’s meaning, but also to which category it belongs (e.g., “class 3 verb,” “weak adjective”).
The biggest problem with it is its online component. It is designed to be used side-by-side with online elements, which means that it is incomplete on its own. Sadly, of the three URLs listed, none worked. Whatever website he had intended is gone, and the university that had been hosting it seems to be no longer connected to Baker or his book. This meant that a lot was missing from my experience. Some things, such as the audio files for pronunciation, cannot exist in book form, for obvious reasons. But some of the absences irritated me. One of the chapters begins with the instruction to stop reading, go online, and print a chart that lists the different verb forms, pronouns, etc. It’s apparently just one page, a quick reference sheet. If it’s just one page, couldn’t he have put it in the book, too?
Good news, though! It looks as though the online content migrated to a different site. I’m guessing that the later editions of this book list the current URL, and that my experience would only apply to people who use the first edition. However, it seems like some of the content has changed, for both the books and the site. Some of the online things my book tells me to use aren’t there, and some of what is online is slightly confusing because it doesn’t follow the layout of the first edition book. (So Mr. Baker, if you’re reading this, maybe you could put some explanations on the site, too?) Something simple, like “The second syllable is emphasized because the first syllable is a prefix” or whatever the reason is. Don’t get me wrong; the site is great. It’s full of practice exercises, and it tells me whether my answers are right or wrong. It’s glorious! It’s like one of those educational computer games that kids play in grade school computer labs. It’s fun, like a game, but still informative. It’s a way to test yourself and see how much you understand the topic. But sometimes, even having read this book, I’m still not sure WHY some answers are what they are. (But hey! This is still miles beyond the other resources out there, so I’m not complaining!) I suspect that my confusion has less to do with the format of the site, than with the different layouts of the earlier edition of the book. I think the site is a better fit for the current edition.
I suspect that if I had the most recent edition, this would easily be 5 stars. Even without the online portion, it’s a solid 4.5. Lots of good information, and not overwhelming for a novice. I highly recommend this to anyone studying Old English....more
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