This popular reader--a standard since its first edition in 1876--helps students acquire a sound elementary knowledge Old English by studying of a rich variety of poetry and prose. Selections cover a wide range of dialects and genres, from an early Northumbrian form of Caedmon's Hymn and ninth-century Kentish charters to the complete texts of The Dream of the Rood and Wulfstan's Address to the English, with ample literary and historical notes.
Henry Sweet Book order (chronological)
Henry Sweet was an influential English philologist and phonetician who focused on Germanic languages, particularly Old English and Old Norse. His groundbreaking work explored broader issues of phonetics, grammar, and language pedagogy, with many of his ideas remaining vital in academic circles today. A pioneer in language teaching, Sweet emphasized spoken language and phonetics, producing seminal works that laid the foundation for modern phonetic studies and the scientific description of speech. His contributions, especially to Old English dialectology and the study of pronunciation, continue to inform linguistic scholarship.
Second Middle English Primer
Extracts from Chaucer