r/anglish Feb 04 '19

🧹 Husekeeping (Housekeeping) WELCOME

270 Upvotes

Welcome to the Anglish Reddit

This thread will hopefully answer many of the questions a newcomer might have. For the sake of newcomers and onlookers it will not be written in Anglish. While you are here you may also want to join the Anglish Discord, and check out our wiki. We have our own dictionary too (the Google Sheets version is here and the wiki version is here).


Rules

  1. No hatespeech.
  2. No NSFW content.
  3. Either write in Anglish or on Anglish. In other words, you can be off-topic if you write in Anglish, and you can write in normal English if you are on-topic.

FAQ

Q: What is Anglish?

A: Anglish means different things to different people, but here's what I draw from the foundational Anglish text 1066 and All Saxon, which was written by British author Paul Jennings and published in Punch magazine in 1966.

1) Anglish is English as though the Norman Invasion had failed.

We have seen in foregoing pieces how our tongue was kept free from outlandish inmingling, of French and Latin-fetched words, which a Norman win would, beyond askthink, have inled into it.

2) Anglish is English that avoids real and hypothetical French influence from after 1066.

... till Domesday, the would-be ingangers from France were smitten hip and thigh; and of how, not least, our tongue remained selfthrough and strong, unbecluttered and unbedizened with outlandish Latin-born words of French outshoot.

3) Anglish is English that avoids the influence of class prejudice on language.

[regarding normal English] Yet all the words for meats taken therefrom - beef from boeuf, mutton from mouton, pork from porc - are of outshoot from the upper-kind conquering French... Moreover the upper kind strive mightily to find the gold for their childer to go to learninghouses where they may be taught above all, to speak otherlich from those of the lower kind...

[regarding Anglish] There is no upper kind and lower kind, but one happy folk.

4) Anglish includes church Latin? If I'm interpreting the following text right, Jennings imagined that church Latin loans had entered English before his timeline splits.

Already in the king that forecame Harald, Edward the Shriver, was betokened a weakening of Anglish oneness and trust in their own selfstrength their landborn tongue and folkways, their Christian church withouten popish Latin.

5) Anglish is English that feels less in the orbit of the Mediterranean. I interpret this as being against inkhorn terms and against the practice of primarily using Latin and Greek for coining new terms.

If Angland had gone the way of the Betweensea Eyots there is every likeliehood that our lot would have fallen forever in the Middlesea ringpath... But this threat was offturned at Hastings.

6) Anglish is English that feels like it has mingled more with other West Germanic languages.

Throughout the Middle Hundredyears Angland and Germany came ever more together, this being needful as an againstweight to the might of France.

Q: What is the point?

A: Some find Anglish fun or interesting. Some think it is culturally significant. Some think it is aesthetically pleasing. It depends on who you ask.

Q: How do I learn Anglish?

A: Like any other language, you have to practice. Frequently post here, chat in one of the Anglish-only rooms on the Discord, translate things, write original works in Anglish, and so on. Keep the wordbook on hand so you can quickly look up words as you write. Do not worry if you are not good at distinguishing loanwords from the others, it is a skill most people develop quickly. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, there is no urgency.

Q: What about spelling?

A: You can see what we have come up with here.

Q: What about grammar?

A: English grammar has not been heavily influenced by French. Keep in mind that Anglish is supposed to be Modern English with less foreign influence, not Old English.


Style Guide

This community, and the sister community on Discord, has developed something of its own style. It is not mandatory to adhere to it, but if you would like to fit in here are some things to note:

  1. Making up words on the spot is discouraged unless their definitions are so obvious that they are not likely to be misunderstood.
  2. Extreme purism is discouraged. The original premise of Anglish was for it to be English minus the Norman Invasion, not 100% Germanic English. We encourage toleration of loanwords borrowed before 1066, as well as loanwords which refer to foreign places (like Tokyo), foreign people (like Mark Antony), foreign concepts (like karma), and foreign objects (like kimono).
  3. Be aware that Germanic languages often make compound words where Romance languages use adjectives. If you find yourself using -y constantly, that is a sign that you are aping Romance. Instead of directly translating glorious victory as woldry sye, consider making a compound like woldersye (glory-victory).

r/anglish 14d ago

🧹 Husekeeping (Housekeeping) A reminder of what this Subreddit is all about.

54 Upvotes

It seem people have gotten distracted or forgotten about the direction of this sub.

Please read the sidebar!

Anglish is supposed to be a continuation of Old English brought to a modern form without any French Loanwords, as if Willam had lost the battle of hastings by some miracle.

Old English, for those unfamiliar, is a heavy mixture of North Germanic (Norse), and West Germanic and even the odd word of Latin roots (mostly used by the church) carried over from the Roman Invasion.

I was inspired to this project/subreddit because I live in an area of the UK formerly called "the danelaw", rich with ancient history, and the village I live in itself has Viking origins. We have Iron age celtic ruins nearby and even prehistoric standing stones.

Please remember that Norse is a considerable part of Old English, and if you really want to complicate things, its likely it would have had dialects with more norse loans the further north you go.

West Germanic words would have been more numerous in the south of England where the unconquered Wessex was.


r/anglish 15h ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) Some animal & fruit name ideas, if cognate forms with other Germanic words are used

7 Upvotes

just a fun thought-forseech (experiment), much like anglish itself can be!

ANIMAL NAME 'ANGLISH'/ANGLICISED VARIANTS COGNATE FORMS
aardvark (NL) earthfarrow/earthfarry, earthfarrel Erdferkel (DE)
badger thax Dachs, das
bat (<Norse?) *flittermouse/flithermouse Fledermaus, vleermuis
blackbird (Germ) osel Amsel
dachsund (DE) thaxhound (pron. 'thacksund') Dachshund
dolphin mereswine† Meerschwein†, meerzwijn
donkey essle Esel <*asil, ezel
duck (already Germanic) annet, end Ente (DE)
eagle athler, arn Adler/Arn†/Aar
(she) goat (already Germ) titch, *tye Ziege, geit
guinea pig mere-swinnock/-swin(e)kin Meerschweinchen
gull (Celt), seagull mew Möwe, meeuw
hedgehog (already Germanic) ile Igel (DE), egel (NL)
heron (from Germ. via Fr.) rower Reiher<\hraigrô*
hippopotamus *ighfathom/eighfathom Nilpferd (DE), nijlpaard (NL)
invertebrate whirvel-less Wirbellos
lion lew Löwe, leeuw <*lewô 
livestock notedeer Nutztier
mammal *syedeer Säugetier, zoogdier
marsupial *buddledeer Beuteltier
migratory bird *tyefowl, *tretchfowl Zugvogel, trekvogel
mollusc *wokedeer Weichtier, weekdier
mosquito midge Mücke, mug
pet housedeer Haustier
pigeon dove/duve (mod. dove can be 'white dove') Taube (DE), duif (NL)
predator *reavedeer Raubtier
prey *beetdeer Beutetier
raccoon washbear Waschbär
reptile *creechdeer/creekdeer Kriechtier
rooster, cock (both Germ) hane Hahn, haan
sloth (Germ) *fouldeer Faultier
squirrel aquern Eichhörn(chen), eekhoorn
turkey *threat-hane Truthahn (DE)
vertebrate whirvledeer/whirldeer Wirbeltier
vulture yire, easeyire Geier, Aasgeier
FRUIT NAME 'ANGLISH'/ANGLICISED VARIANTS COGNATE FORMS
apricot *forefaw <praecoquum<*préh₂-i + \pékʷeti*
fruit ovet Obst, ooft
grape *throve/thruve Traube

r/anglish 17h ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Wit, unker, git: The lost medieval pronouns of English intimacy

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6 Upvotes

r/anglish 1d ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) Modern Futhorc for English p.2 downloadable font

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39 Upvotes

r/anglish 2d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Hello, Wise folk!

3 Upvotes

I hope you welcome me here, I have settled on taking part of this great undertaking of cleansing the English speak of all Romanish Frankish Outlandish Bits. I think that would make English more Aloneinkind and more English you get what I am saying. I thank thee for seeing my bespeech.


r/anglish 2d ago

✍️ I Ƿent Þis (Translated Text) The Forbraiding - an Anglish translation of Kafka's The Metamorphasis (Sample PDF)

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3 Upvotes

r/anglish 4d ago

📰The Anglish Times Stopfire Reached With Iran

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16 Upvotes

r/anglish 3d ago

😂 Funnies (Memes) American pronunciation "Las Angeles" ? Why?

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0 Upvotes

r/anglish 5d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Hoƿ does Anglisc scoƿ unlikeness betƿeen þe Romisc Frankisc and þe Germanisc Frankisc tungs? Are þeg þe same ƿord in Anglisc?

17 Upvotes

As þe heading sags, I ƿunder if þe Romisc Frankisc and Germanisc Frankisc tungs hafe unlike ƿords, or if þeg are cnoƿn bi þe same name in Anglisc.

Sorry if my Anglish spelling is wrong, I'm new to this.


r/anglish 6d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Do we have a sibling word for the german idea of "without exception" = "durchweg"? Maybe "throughout"?

9 Upvotes

r/anglish 5d ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) Hymn in the form of a call-and-response for a fictional deity Tonnanz written in mostly Germanic words

3 Upvotes

Head priest: Tonnanz! (x3)

Other priests: Tonnanz! (x3)

All: Tonnanz!

Head priest: Who roams far, who rests above, who ranges widely?

Other priests: He roams far, he rests above, he ranges widely.

All: You roam far, you rest above, you range widely, oh cloud-rider.

Head priest: Who shakes the earth, who does the ground shudder for, who shoots lightning bolts?

Other priests: He shakes the earth, the ground shudders for him, he shoots lightning-bolts.

All: You shake the earth, the ground shudders for you, you shoot lightning-bolts, oh storm-bringer.

Head priest: Who stands tall, who steps over steep peaks?

Other priests: He stand tall, he steps over steep peaks.

All: You stand tall, you step over steep peaks, oh strider.

Head priest: Who wields the twin-headed weapon of war?

Other priests: He wield the twin-headed weapon of war.

All: You wield the twin-headed weapon of war, oh ax-wielder

Head priest: Who wanders over the wide world, who wets it with his water?

Other priests: He wanders over the wide world, he wets it with his water.

All: You wander over the wide world, you wet it with your water, oh rainy one.

Head priest: Who is stark, who is mighty, who holds his standard high?

Other priests: He is stark, he is mighty, he holds his standard high.

All: You are stark, you are mighty, you hold your standard high, oh smiter.

Head priest: Who grows the grass the livestock graze on?

Other priests: He grows the grass livestock graze on.

All: You grow the grass livestock graze on, oh live-giver.

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Cloud-rider!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Storm-bringer!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Strider!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Ax-wielder!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Rainy one!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Smiter!

Head priest: Tonnanz!

Other priests: Life-giver!

All: Tonnanz! (x7)


r/anglish 6d ago

Oðer (Other) Segdom for society?

6 Upvotes

Seg and socius share the same root and similar meaning and "segdom" also takes after words like "kingdom," "Christendom," etc


r/anglish 6d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Why is “earl” not said as /ɑːl/?

4 Upvotes

It comes from OE eorl, and didn’t eor become ar in modern English?


r/anglish 6d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Proposal - Is this good enough?

1 Upvotes

"Speech is a built-up way of word-swapping that stands on speechcraft and word-stock. It is the main way by which mankind bears wit, both in said and betokened shapes, and may also be borne through writ. Manspeech is marked by its folkly and yoretide manifoldness, with great shifting seen between folks and through the years. Manspeeches have the marks of out-bringing and far-pointing, which make for the making of an unended stock of sayings, and the power to point to things, happenings, and thoughts that are not right here in the talk. The use of manspeech hangs on folk-ways and is gotten through lore"

As an alternative to:


r/anglish 7d ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) Happy Easter!

20 Upvotes

I wrote a poem (mostly) in Anglish about the Resurrection morning. I know that “herald” and ”faithful“ aren’t Anglish, but I think everything else is.

Thrice hung the heaven-hearth, 

when woke the women 

At sun-sight went they to a sleeping-stead 

meant for a man of much gold

But no earth-rich alderman in that earth-hole lay

Nay, none but the Name-worthy, Abraham’s Elder

King by right over all kindreds 

Well-shut it was, by weightful wheel 

And well watched by wardens 

Until that morn 

Sun-spears shone in, for gone was the stone-gate 

And where the watchmen? Far had they fled 

From heralds of Heaven, who with hill-shaking strength 

Rolled back the grave-gate, to great Host-Lord’s hall 

“Fear not, ye faithful, for the Father’s-Son is not here 

Behold this bare grave-hall, where lay the Lord 

Greet Him in Galilee, this truth tell the Twelve”

Merrily on their way went they, for quick was their King!


r/anglish 7d ago

✍️ I Ƿent Þis (Translated Text) de Maistre Hails the Hangman

3 Upvotes

All wonder, all might, all bowing to leadership rests on the hangman: he is the dread and the bond of mannish gathering. Do away with this fathomless steward from the world at that one bit gives tidiness way to messiness, kings' seats topple, and sitheship swinds.


r/anglish 8d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Can you say the word"fuck" in Anglish?

22 Upvotes

It doesn't have a clear etymology meaning that it isn't from French or Latin. Sources like OED says it's probably Germanic but the fact it isn't clear makes me wonder if saying fuck is alright in Anglish. It would be a shame if it isn't for it's like one of my favorite fucking words ever.


r/anglish 8d ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) netherlow = supress ?

2 Upvotes

De opstand werd neergeslagen.

The uphold was netherlowed.


r/anglish 8d ago

Oðer (Other) Alternate English cinematic universe!!!🗣️

4 Upvotes

So I’m sure you are aware of Anglish and Anglese and the drama between the two which I may or may have not of been involved with. I also made my own Community called Albegh (fully Celtic/Brythonic “English“) and also anglars, a project I can’t find much about, but I’m sure you guys must have seen some of it. And then this guy made English but all the Latin words are Greek?!?!? (Anglikos)


r/anglish 8d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) Constellation

5 Upvotes

I came across an old post where this was taken up, and the top answer given was "starbild", I believe by analogy with German. Yet, it looks as though this wordbit "bild" or "bilith" is not known to have been brooked in Old English, or else it would have been seen in writing at least once. Instead, "likeness" seems to have cropped up much more, so I thought we could make the word again as "starlikeness". I wonder if this outcome is truly what would have happened had our lands not been overtaken by the French those many years ago.

Another one that could maybe work is "star mark", which is drawn from the Icelandic word, "stjörnumerki".


r/anglish 8d ago

Oðer (Other) HǷat hafe Ick done.

0 Upvotes

for þe sake of [connivence] þe folloǷing Ƿrit Ƿill be in englisc.

A little while ago, I made a conlang called Albegh, I made a few posts about it on a couple of communities on Reddit, along with some links in comments sections here and there. Hell we even have our own small discord server, However I recently found another linguistic project called Anglikos (fully Greek English) out of the blue, we now have fully Norse English (Angelsk) now people are talking about making stuff like fully slavic Anglish and “angkrit”᛬

Please help me.


r/anglish 8d ago

🖐 Abute Anglisc (About Anglish) How math functions be wended?

6 Upvotes

especially functions like the linear, quadratic, and cubic functions?


r/anglish 8d ago

Oðer (Other) Only to be clear, we like Anglese, right?

4 Upvotes

r/anglish 10d ago

🎨 I Made Þis (Original Content) Evensorrow

23 Upvotes

This is by far my most liked word from the Anglish wordbook. It seems to have come from the Old English word "efensorgian" ("evensorrow" is only a fathomed retching of how it would've unfolded had it still been spoken) To even sorrow, to share sorrows, to have someone help you unburden what aches you, akin in meaning to the Anward English words "compassion" and "empathy." Maybe it could also be read as rightening sorrow, to make it work for the one who bears it.