Those poor forgotten Jutes

June 28, 2011 7:51 AM

The History of English in Ten Minutes (Chapter I: Anglo-Saxon), from Open University. [via]

Chapter I: Anglo-Saxon
Chapter II: The Norman Conquest
Chapter III: Shakespeare
Chapter IV: The King James Bible
Chapter V: The English of Science
Chapter VI: English and Empire
Chapter VII: The Age of the Dictionary
Chapter VIII: American English
Chapter IX: Internet English
Chapter X: Global English

posted by Bukvoed (21 comments total)

I love it!
posted by absalom at 7:54 AM on June 28, 2011

Hwaet hwaet!
posted by infinitewindow at 8:08 AM on June 28, 2011

Don't forget the Jutes!
posted by stbalbach at 8:11 AM on June 28, 2011

I thought the 'Oxen of the Sun' chapter of Ulysses was the history of English in ten minutes?
posted by kersplunk at 8:17 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]

Don't forget the Jutes!

They killed our Lord and Savior!
posted by grubi at 8:17 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

But, seriously, this is very awesome. I love me some Anglo-Saxon.
posted by grubi at 8:17 AM on June 28, 2011

infinitewindow: Was that use of "Hwæt" intended in the "Hark!" context, or was it meant in a Seamus Heaney "So" sort of way? It's hard to tell without glosses.
posted by Smart Dalek at 8:19 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ok, gonna try this one more time:

Years ago Radio 4 did a play that was the history of a phrase, and how it changed across history. I think the phrase was "I want to go home", and at one point one of the words (to go?) fell out of the sky and broke into two words.

Has anyone got any idea what I'm talking about? I'd love to hear it agian.
posted by Leon at 8:24 AM on June 28, 2011

What is the word in Chinese for a dead language propped up by humor?
posted by Nanukthedog at 8:31 AM on June 28, 2011

What is the word in Chinese for a dead language propped up by humor?

Yiddish
posted by Panjandrum at 8:43 AM on June 28, 2011 [13 favorites]

I thought the 'Oxen of the Sun' chapter of Ulysses was the history of English in ten minutes?

Ten minutes? That one took me several hours and a few gin and tonics.
posted by Alex404 at 8:44 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

several hours and a few gin and tonics.

Shouldn't that be "gins and tonics"?

Sorry.
posted by grubi at 8:46 AM on June 28, 2011

What is the word in Chinese for a dead language propped up by humor?
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:31 PM on June 28

I don't know, but I can tell you that the word for a dead language propped up by a total lack of humour is "Welsh".
posted by Decani at 9:24 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]

As in "hwæt hwæt, innan sé ærs."
posted by infinitewindow at 9:25 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

>> several hours and a few gin and tonics.

> Shouldn't that be "gins and tonics"?

Or would it be "gins and tonic" as in "Attorneys General"?
posted by spock at 9:34 AM on June 28, 2011

I think it's multiple gins and multiple tonics.


As in "Whoppers Junior".
posted by grubi at 9:42 AM on June 28, 2011

What? No Chaucer? Someone who predicted the success of Apple (“By nature, men love newfangledness”) surely deserves a few seconds.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:45 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

John McWhorter's excellent Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue had the same total amount of humor but interspersed with a lot more information. Recommended.
posted by DU at 11:22 AM on June 28, 2011

Paet was god cyning!
posted by bardic at 10:28 PM on June 28, 2011

This is funny. I love the Shakespeare illustration.
posted by Reaveg at 5:52 AM on June 29, 2011

Wow this is marvellous. Was looking for a way to download it all and watch later until I found it is indeed also available as downloadable videos (and transcripts) on iTunes U.
posted by bitteschoen at 2:27 PM on June 29, 2011