Customer Reviews

Old English and Its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This fantastic little tome makes me completely reevaluate my ideas about how languages should be taught. Employing only the most minimal amount of linguistics terminology, Robinson walks the reader through seven texts in related Germanic languages. At the period they were written, these were not even distinct languages, but merely dialects of what experts in diachronic linguistics call "Proto-Germanic." The reader begins to see the connections between languages almost immediately. This is what I mean by saying that this is how languages should be taught. Bringing in a substantial etymological component to language teaching somehow provides context for each word, which somehow makes it more interesting and gripping.

For example -- here is a phrase in Old Frisian, which is a Germanic language that only grad students have ever heard of. The phrase is this, ""Thu skalt erja thinne feder and thine moder, thet tu theste langor libbe." Look familiar? If your life has ever brought you into contact with the Ten Commandments, it might remind you of the phrase "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that you might longer live." That's good if you make that connection, because that's what it means. That isn't even in English! Isn't that cool?!?! The whole book is full of things like that.

In terms of layout, Robinson begins with two introductory chapters in which he walks us through some of the more salient ideas in historical linguistics. The second chapter is very important to understand the bulk of the book. Please dwell on it, and try to read it through at least twice before moving on. Seriously, do this, it will only help. Then there are seven chapters on seven "dialects" of Proto-Germanic, followed up by an interesting little chapter on some controversial issues over which scholars wrangle. Each chapter has several recommendations for further reading at the end of the chapter. I myself have only tried out the recommendation for two of the chapters, Old Frisian an Old Norse, but Robinson's recommendations were terrific for me.

One thing I need to mention -- there is a chart of correspondences in sounds and grammar, on pages 250-251. Somehow, this chart was left out of the table of contents. It is very helpful -- you might want to dog-ear page 250, so you can always find it easily for quick reference, as you're going through each chapter.

Anyway, this book is great for the undergrad linguist, or for any armchair time traveller. Two thumbs up!

- It was amazing. In almost no time I found myself reading a text in Gothic, a language I never thought I'd ever master.

The book summarizes the main common characteristics of the ancient Germanic languages, then moves on to describe 7 different languages individually. For each language the author describes significant features of its history, phonetics, and grammar. Moreover, for each language, a few short texts are presented to the reader. They are accompanied by a glossary with examples of words from modern English and German to ease the understanding of the words in the text. After the text a thorough vocabulary follows, where all the words are translated into English. Finally, at the end of the book there is complete translation of each text.

The book is clearly based on strict linguistic principles and methods, it's well-structured, and the author is able to keep the balance and avoid too many details - after all, the aim is to give a comparative survey of the language family. But most important, the author isn't just a scholar - he also knows how to teach.

I won't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in comparative linguistics and the history of the Indo-European languages. However, knowledge of modern German is clearly an advantage when reading the text samples.

If you are seeking a nice, concise yet not superficial discussion on Gothic, Old Norse, Old English, Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Low Franconian and Old Frisian then you will find this book very interesting. It explains the main differences between these early Germanic languages, and per language it contains and discusses texts that have come down to us. And it reads like a novel.

I particularly appreciate the discussion of Old Low Franconian (= Old Dutch, Old Netherlandic), the predecessor of modern Dutch that is the mother tongue of more than 20 million speakers in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium).

Although there are very few extant texts in OLF this language has undergone few sound changes (compared to e.g. OE or OHG) and therefore is very well suited for the comparative linguistic discipline.

Interesting reading. What I particularly liked was that each section was not just a dry listing of comparative morphosyntax between the different Germanic languages. Robinson starts each section with at least a few pages of history. This way, you can see what the people did, where they were, where they went, and with whom they interacted. He also treats each language as a dynamic construct in a dynamic environment, rather than something that just popped into existence in a vacuum. He makes a point at the end to discuss language features that occurred late due to social contact, or in some cases conquest.

This book has been a great help on my home studies in old germanic languages. Well structured and well written, it offers a lot of information. I found the grammar summaries especially helpfull. Small detail: it is definitely a beginners study book and I can imagine that skilled scholars think it's too limited. For them the grammar summaries will be handy information only. For freshmen and newcomers it is highly recommended though. For extensive studies the book will have to be supported by an extensive reader with old germanic texts.

I took Orrin Robinson's class "Introduction to the Germanic Languages" at Stanford and this was the primary text. The book is a marvelous sampler, with brief sections discussing each language's relation to the others and its historical and cultural significance. Each language is presented through excerpts from major or important works, with translations and "clues" in the margins for those attempting to read the original. It definitely helps to have a basic understanding of historical linguistics and some exposure to either modern German or comparative linguistics, but even beginners will find something of interest.

Orrin Robinson has done what many suggested could never be done -- or done well at any rate: he has constructed a useful, solid introduction to the whole of early Germanic linguistics, hitting all the high points, with concision, without merely paying lip service to each language. It's a terrific starting point for comparative Germanic linguistics -- from which you can move on to more exhaustive works on the individual languages.

Robinson covers seven key Germanic languages here, each in its own chapter: Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old English, Old Frisian, Old Low Franconian, and Old High German. In each chapter, he situates the language in its proper historical context, discusses its development from Primitive Germanic, explains its phonology (useful crib notes to refer back to when you need to remember how to pronounce Old Saxon or Gothic! :), talks about the key literary texts in the language, offers two or three reading samples in each language -- with glosses and cognates in the margin and a short glossary following, provides an overview of the grammar, and more. Each chapter also concludes with a Further Reading section, telling those interested in learning more where to turn next.

This is quite a lot to have accomplished in such a relatively short book (c.300 pp.). Robinson's writing is a model of clarity, and the book never plods or becomes too overwhelming or too dry. I've read this book more than once and I refer to it often, which is a compliment of another sort. Very highly recommended indeed!

This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It covers not only the language, but some of the relevant history of the germanic peoples. The book can be read at several levels. For the diligent, it provides sufficient background to learn a bit of several old germanic languages. For the dilettante (me), it is simply a pleasure to skim over and enjoy.

If you have any interest at all in the germanic languages, buy this book!

Accessible, yet precise, this book answers the questions I have always had about the peoples and languages surrounding and influencing Anglo-Saxon. I haven't had the luxury of taking the author's classes as I am an East Coast securities lawyer and only an amateur philologist. But every night I go home, get into my pajamas, and walk into the mists of history with this book. The Lord's Prayer in Old Frisian! I love this book more than I can say.

If you are seeking a nice, concise yet not superficial discussion on Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Low Franconian and Old Frisian then you simply have to buy this book. It explains the main differences between these early Germanic languages, and contains and discusses texts that have come down to us for each language. And it reads like a novel.

I particularly appreciate the discussion of Old Low Franconian (= Old Dutch, Old Netherlandic), the predecessor of modern Dutch that is the mother tongue of more than 20 million speakers in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). Although there are very few extant texts in OLF this language has undergone few sound changes (compared to e.g. OE or OHG) and therefore is very well suited for the comparative linguistic discipline.