Old English in Switzerland

Old English in Switzerland

(Annina Seiler & Nicole Studer-Joho)

Today, English is omnipresent in Switzerland – indeed, it is sometimes referred to as the fifth national language alongside German, French, Italian and Romansch. However, only few people know that English is attested in Switzerland already in the early Middle Ages: Monks in monasteries copied Old English texts, some of which survive until this day. We don’t know if English was used much as a spoken language. The surviving bits and pieces of Old English occur in the context of Latin works and were probably copied from earlier manuscripts. The scribes perhaps did not always understand the Old English passages. Occasionally, they adjusted the language to Old High German, which must have been their first language. Still, the material provides very interesting insights into multilingualism in Switzerland in the early Middle Ages. This set of teaching materials presents some of the Old English texts transmitted in Swiss libraries and introduces the students to their cultural background through a set of texts and exercises.

Guidelines for teachers 

Old English in Switzerland (powerpoint slides) 

Introductory texts 

Old English bird names (worksheet)

Old English runes (worksheet)

Old English months (worksheet)

Bede's death song (worksheet)