Ye Old Language of the Ancients

© 2019 B. L. Freeborn

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – FDR

All the words in this famous quote by President Roosevelt are Anglo-Saxon and could be understood by people speaking the language a thousand years ago or more.

Note these interesting little riddles made from Anglo-Saxon words. (If the meaning of the word has changed with time, the old meaning is in parentheses.)

Are these not rather descriptive sentences of a comet impact with the planet?

Tap tip top.

Pat put (out eyes) of pate (happy one) into pits and pots.

Mece (sword) and myce (more) make muck of meek.

It came and its cyme (aftermath) is a cumb (valley) and cama (collar).

Pin (torture) pun (poke hole through) into a pan (dish) and pen.

Tack (a nail) take and tuc (punish).

The hale hill was hele (concealed) into a hell.

This book is about the baking, bucking, bickering becca (pike) on the back from where it becks (streams).

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