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Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was spoken in England and parts of southern and eastern Scotland from the mid-5th century to the late 11th century.
Answer: True
The source indicates that Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, was spoken in England and parts of southern and eastern Scotland from the mid-5th to the late 11th century.
Old English primarily developed from a group of Celtic dialects spoken by the indigenous peoples of Great Britain.
Answer: False
Old English primarily developed from Anglo-Frisian or Ingvaeonic dialects spoken by Germanic tribes, not Celtic dialects.
In Roman Britain, Old English replaced only Latin, as Common Brittonic had already died out.
Answer: False
Old English replaced both Common Brittonic and Latin in Roman Britain, as Common Brittonic was still present.
Among the four main dialects of Old English, Northumbrian became the basis for the literary standard during the later period.
Answer: False
The West Saxon dialect, not Northumbrian, became the basis for the literary standard during the later Old English period.
Old Norse significantly influenced Old English, particularly in the Danelaw, leading to grammatical simplification.
Answer: True
Old Norse indeed significantly influenced Old English, especially in the Danelaw, contributing to grammatical simplification and lexical borrowing.
Modern English speakers can easily comprehend Old English with minimal dedicated study due to shared vocabulary.
Answer: False
Old English is largely incomprehensible to Modern English speakers without dedicated study due to significant differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
By the 9th century, all speakers of Old English were referred to as 'Englisc', regardless of their specific tribal ancestry.
Answer: True
By the 9th century, the term 'Englisc' was indeed applied to all Old English speakers, irrespective of their Saxon or Jutish origins.
Albert Baugh dates Old English from 450 to 1150 CE, characterizing it as an analytic language due to its reliance on fixed word order.
Answer: False
Albert Baugh dates Old English from 450 to 1150 CE, but he characterizes it as a synthetic language due to its full inflections, not an analytic language reliant on fixed word order.
Approximately 85% of Old English words are no longer in use, but the surviving words form the fundamental elements of Modern English vocabulary.
Answer: True
The source states that approximately 85% of Old English words are no longer in use, but the remaining words form the core vocabulary of Modern English.
Alfred the Great's efforts led to the standardization of the West Saxon dialect and promoted education and translation into English.
Answer: True
Alfred the Great's unification of kingdoms and advocacy for English education indeed led to the standardization of West Saxon and the growth of English prose literature.
The 'Winchester standard' or Late West Saxon lost its prestige immediately after the Norman Conquest, as English temporarily lost its importance as a literary language.
Answer: True
The 'Winchester standard' or Late West Saxon did maintain its prestige until the Norman Conquest, after which English temporarily lost its importance as a literary language.
The Mercian and Northumbrian dialects of Old English were collectively referred to as 'Anglian'.
Answer: True
The Mercian and Northumbrian dialects were indeed collectively known as 'Anglian'.
Linguists widely support the idea of significant Celtic influence on English syntax, such as the progressive construction.
Answer: False
The idea of significant Celtic influence on English syntax, such as the progressive construction, has generally not received widespread support from linguists.
The largest transfer of Latin-based words into English occurred during the Old English period, directly from Latin.
Answer: False
The largest transfer of Latin-based words into English occurred during the Middle English period, primarily through Old French, not directly from Latin during the Old English period.
According to Albert Baugh, Old English is characterized as what type of language due to its full inflections?
Answer: A synthetic language
Albert Baugh characterizes Old English as a synthetic language due to its full inflections, which convey grammatical relationships.
Which two languages did Old English replace in Roman Britain as Germanic settlers became dominant?
Answer: Common Brittonic and Latin
Old English replaced both Common Brittonic and Latin in Roman Britain as Germanic settlers gained dominance.
How did Old Norse primarily influence Old English grammar?
Answer: By contributing to grammatical simplification and loss of inflectional endings.
Old Norse primarily influenced Old English grammar by contributing to grammatical simplification and the loss of inflectional endings.
What did Simeon Potter observe about the impact of Scandinavian languages on English grammar?
Answer: It hastened the wearing away and leveling of grammatical forms, resulting in greater clarity.
Simeon Potter observed that Scandinavian influence hastened the wearing away and leveling of grammatical forms, leading to greater clarity and strength in English.
What is the alternative name for Old English?
Answer: Anglo-Saxon
Old English is also known as Anglo-Saxon.
From what linguistic origins did Old English primarily develop?
Answer: Anglo-Frisian or Ingvaeonic dialects
Old English primarily developed from Anglo-Frisian or Ingvaeonic dialects spoken by Germanic tribes.
Why is Old English largely incomprehensible to Modern English speakers?
Answer: It has significant differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Old English is largely incomprehensible to Modern English speakers due to significant differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Which period of Old English is described as mostly a reconstructed language with limited epigraphic evidence?
Answer: Prehistoric Old English
Prehistoric Old English (c. 450–650 CE) is described as mostly a reconstructed language with limited epigraphic evidence.
Which Old English dialect became the basis for the literary standard during the later Old English period?
Answer: West Saxon
The West Saxon dialect became the basis for the literary standard during the later Old English period.
The word 'English' is derived from 'Englisc', meaning 'pertaining to' which Germanic tribe?
Answer: The Angles
The word 'English' is derived from 'Englisc', meaning 'pertaining to the Angles'.
Approximately what percentage of Old English words are no longer in use in Modern English?
Answer: 85%
Approximately 85% of Old English words are no longer in use in Modern English.
The Latin alphabet was the original writing system for Old English, introduced by Roman conquerors.
Answer: False
The original writing system for Old English was Anglo-Saxon runes (futhorc), which was later replaced by the Latin alphabet introduced by Irish Christian missionaries, not Roman conquerors.
In original Old English manuscripts, macrons over vowels were used to indicate long vowels, just as in modern editions.
Answer: False
In original Old English manuscripts, macrons indicated stress or abbreviations for 'm' or 'n', not vowel length. Modern editions use them to mark long vowels for clarity.
What was the initial writing system for Old English before the Latin alphabet became dominant?
Answer: Anglo-Saxon runes (futhorc)
The earliest Old English inscriptions were written using Anglo-Saxon runes (futhorc) before the Latin alphabet became dominant.
Which of the following letters, supplementing the Latin alphabet in Old English, was a modified Latin letter rather than a borrowing from futhorc?
Answer: æ (æsc)
The letter 'æ' (æsc) was a modified Latin letter, while 'þ' (thorn) and 'ƿ' (wynn) were borrowed from futhorc.
What was the primary function of macrons in original Old English manuscripts?
Answer: To indicate stress or abbreviations for 'm' or 'n'.
In original Old English manuscripts, macrons primarily indicated stress or abbreviations for a following 'm' or 'n', not vowel length.
Old English grammar featured extensive inflectional endings, allowing for a much freer word order compared to Modern English.
Answer: True
Old English grammar was highly inflected, which allowed for a more flexible word order compared to Modern English, which relies more on fixed word order.
Old English nouns declined for five cases, three genders, and two numbers.
Answer: True
Old English nouns indeed declined for five cases, three genders, and two numbers, and were categorized as strong or weak.
The instrumental case in Old English was widely used across all genders and numbers.
Answer: False
The instrumental case in Old English was vestigial and primarily used only with masculine and neuter singular nouns, often replaced by the dative case, not widely used across all genders and numbers.
Old English verbs conjugated for four tenses: present, past, future, and perfect.
Answer: False
Old English verbs conjugated for two tenses: present and past, not four.
Modern English compound tenses, like 'I have eaten', have no historical roots in Old English verbal constructions.
Answer: False
The beginnings of Modern English compound tenses, such as 'I have eaten', can be traced back to verbal compound constructions present in Old English.
In Old English, 'do'-support was commonly used to form questions and negatives, similar to Modern English.
Answer: False
Old English did not use 'do'-support for questions and negatives; these were formed by subject-verb inversion or placing 'ne' before the verb.
The indeclinable word 'þe' was used as a relative pronoun in Old English, rather than 'wh-forms'.
Answer: True
The indeclinable word 'þe' was indeed used as a relative pronoun in Old English, while 'wh-forms' were restricted to interrogatives and indefinite pronouns.
What was the default word order in main clauses in Old English?
Answer: Verb-second
The default word order in main clauses in Old English was verb-second (V2).
What are the primary remnants of the Old English case system found in Modern English?
Answer: The forms of a few pronouns and the possessive ending '-s'.
The primary remnants of the Old English case system in Modern English are found in the forms of a few pronouns and the possessive ending '-s'.
How many tenses did Old English verbs conjugate for?
Answer: Two (present and past)
Old English verbs conjugated for two tenses: present and past.
How many cases did Old English nouns decline for?
Answer: Five
Old English nouns declined for five cases.
What was a key grammatical characteristic of Old English that allowed for freer word order?
Answer: Its rich inflectional system.
Old English's rich inflectional system was a key grammatical characteristic that allowed for freer word order.
Old English literacy developed before the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England in the late 7th century.
Answer: False
Old English literacy developed *after* the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England in the late 7th century, with the oldest surviving work, *Cædmon's Hymn*, composed in that period but written down later.
The corpus of Old English literature is small, with approximately 400 surviving manuscripts, but is considered highly significant.
Answer: True
The corpus of Old English literature, though comprising around 400 manuscripts, is indeed considered highly significant and rich among early Germanic literatures.
What was the earliest form of Old English lexicography?
Answer: English glosses on Latin texts created during the Anglo-Saxon period.
The earliest form of Old English lexicography involved English glosses on Latin texts created during the Anglo-Saxon period.
What has one investigation found regarding many Neo-Old English texts published online?
Answer: They bear little resemblance to the historical language and contain numerous basic grammatical mistakes.
One investigation found that many Neo-Old English texts online bear little resemblance to the historical language and contain numerous basic grammatical mistakes.
What is considered the oldest surviving work of Old English literature?
Answer: Cædmon's Hymn
*Cædmon's Hymn* is considered the oldest surviving work of Old English literature.
In which dialect is the provided text of the Lord's Prayer presented?
Answer: Standardized Early West Saxon
The provided text of the Lord's Prayer is presented in the standardized Early West Saxon dialect.
What is the most current and comprehensive dictionary for Old English in modern scholarship?
Answer: The *Dictionary of Old English* edited by Angus Cameron et al.
The *Dictionary of Old English*, edited by Angus Cameron et al., is the most current and comprehensive dictionary for Old English in modern scholarship.