Click on the link below to download a PDF file of fourteen traditional Christmas carols in English and translated into Old English by David Hinch.
Christianity brought with it the Latin alphabet, which was adapted to fit the sounds of Old English
a æ b c d ð e f g h i l m n o p r s t þ u ƿ x y
A Æ B C D Ð E F G H I L M N O P R S T Þ U Ƿ X Y
*some are still used in other languages such as Icelandic
Æ æ
Ð ð
Þ þ
Ƿ ƿ
⁊
a letter called ‘ash’. It makes an ‘a’ sound as in ‘black’
this letter is called ‘eth’. It makes the ‘th’ sounds as in ‘thing’ or ‘that’ a letter called ‘thorn’. It makes the same sounds as the letter ‘eth’
this letter was called ‘wynn’. It makes the sound ‘w’
was a special symbol used for ‘and’. It is also known as the “Tironian nota”
Suggested sounds are based on southern UK English (“Received Pronunciation”)
Short
æ as in modern English ‘cat
a as in modern English ‘broad’
e as in modern English ‘bed’
i as in modern English ‘sit’
o as in modern English ‘not’
u as in modern English ‘put’
y as in French ‘tu
Long
ǣ as in ‘there’
ā as in ‘father’
ē as in ‘bed’ but longer, like ‘bade’ ī as in ‘machine’
ō as in ‘not’ but longer, like ‘note’ ū as in NE ‘boot’
ȳ as in French ‘tu’ but longer
ea as in modern English ‘cat’ + neutral vowel
eo two short vowels together
ie as in ‘sit’ + neutral vowel
ēa = ǣ + a
ēo = ē + o
īe = ī + e
A ‘neutral vowel’ is the sound at the end of a word like ‘leader’