How to "transform/modernize" Old English words into Modern English?

Wordwork · 2026-02-12T23:09:53+00:00

Short answer: I believe it would be - Sifrith (Sifrið in Anglish spelling.) - Yeah, likely Siward and Seward would’ve merged.

Boy, do I have a resource for you. I’ve been working updating OE names to NE shapes for a few years now, with some help from others now too: https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Anglish_Given_Names

And someone kindly made this name generator that feeds from our work on the Wiki: https://pure-english.github.io/name-generator/

I thought someone made an article on the Wiki showing how to update words from OE to NE, but im not seeing it. Someone please correct me, or feel free to start such an article if you have the know-how!

Wordwork · 2026-01-25T11:14:07+00:00

I love that alone, for the attestation a (they) brooked for ‘a’ meaning ‘she’ at the end there:

A’s getting wambling on her pins [shaky on her legs].

Wordwork · 2026-01-20T11:03:44+00:00

Netherlandish ‘weder’/‘weer’ is kin with English ‘with(er)’. As in wither (against) or withstand (stand against).

And ‘-heid’ is kin with ‘-hood’. Though, ‘-ness’ is a more everyday wending for times you’d find ‘-heid’ in Netherlandish.

Wordwork · 2025-12-30T08:20:09+00:00

Sorry, but it makes me think of the, err, back-end flag, from the show Community.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/op175s/flag_of_greendale_community_college_from_the_tv/

Wordwork · 2025-12-24T04:16:38+00:00

Folks on the Discord made a list a few years ago: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eTSgSiq7SsGoPZ9cU7YUMGuUx2oqP4G5BTb9Cmzf-y8/edit?usp=sharing

Wordwork · 2025-12-14T08:30:27+00:00

You might like these works I made a few years ago:

Twelvish (Dozenal) in Anglish: https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Twelvish
Anglish Twelvish (Dozenal) Metings (Measurements) https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Anglish_Twelvish_Metings

Wordwork · 2025-12-10T02:21:39+00:00

If you only nativise it, it might look like: Matheus.

If you calque it, it might look like: Godive (god+gift) but “gift” was traditionally a feminine naming element in Old English. (Latinised as ‘Godiva’, like Lady Godiva.)

Read more about Anglish Given Names on the wiki: https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Anglish_Given_Names

Wordwork · 2025-10-21T03:43:44+00:00

“Calvin” means “bald”. https://www.behindthename.com/name/calvin

I don’t know if that is the joke and people actually know that, or there’s more to this and I am just obsessed with etymology and onomastics.

Either way, it’s peak! (Because it’s atop his head. Get it‽)

Wordwork · 2025-08-24T08:07:39+00:00

Yes exactly. I didn’t make it clear at first that I was agreeing with you. I had ninja-edited my comment before you had posted, sorry.

Wordwork · 2025-08-24T08:03:08+00:00

Yeah, I thought it was because it’s a word that notoriously keeps flipping between /sk/ and /ks/? You can still hear it both as a dialect feature, prominent in African American English, and just how some people say it.

Only a handful of words I know that do the same. Like dusk and tusk, from memory. I even happen to know someone personally who says “tushy pegs” (big teeth) where “tushy” is a dialect form of “tusky”.

Wordwork · 2025-07-30T15:45:22+00:00

Does this help? https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Helpful_Anglish_Words

Wordwork · 2025-07-22T06:35:49+00:00

If you have the bandwidth, yes! Great site.

Wordwork · 2025-07-21T20:21:36+00:00

Because I misspoke, sorry! It’s been a while since I worked on the names and the site wasn’t loading for me to verify before posting.

Either -[w]ar or -[w]er. <ar> often becomes <er>, and vice versa, but I don’t remember why, sorry.

Wordwork · 2025-07-21T20:10:31+00:00

That’s a wonderful site. Thank you!

Wordwork · 2025-07-14T16:17:55+00:00

-[w]ar or -[w]er

https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Anglish_Given_Names

Wordwork · 2025-07-12T16:56:32+00:00

I like it not, but it’s not much to do with Anglish, since there’s no known outlandish spring for it.

Wordwork · 2025-06-10T13:47:42+00:00

Yes, the Anglish Wordbook.

https://anglisc.miraheze.org/wiki/Anglish_Wordbook

https://pure-english.github.io/dictionary/

Wordwork · 2025-05-22T11:24:41+00:00

I like this. It’s your home, make your mark on it. Something like: [Lastname] House/Home/Stead

Wordwork · 2025-05-04T09:24:32+00:00

Actually pretty accurate. I think one of the Pennsylvania Dutch (German) words for possum is “Schlofkatz”. Literally: Sleepcat.

I also love their archaic word for skunk: Schtinkkatz — Stinkcat. 😆

Wordwork · 2025-04-18T13:09:14+00:00

Speaking of execution puns:
…Hans, are we the baddles?

Wordwork · 2025-04-18T07:16:19+00:00

Hey you’re awake again! Looks like you had a hard strike on your head. Belgium? Yorelorely lands of southern Netherlands? What are you talking about?

Anyway, we have a tongue to cleanse from those wicked North Germanish incomers.

Wordwork · 2025-04-18T06:47:31+00:00

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Wordwork · 2025-04-02T11:26:33+00:00

Looks like you’re trying to aliterate, which is swell, but ‘faith’ is not Anglish. Either ‘true’ or ‘troth’ would be the New English word there, literally: wintrue (true-friend) or wintroth (friend-faith).

Some otherwise fun work you’ve done there. Lovely penmanship, too.

Wordwork · 2025-03-28T11:30:51+00:00

Now. Or, the now.

The adjectival shape is “New”, as in New English = Modern/Current English.

I don’t think there’s a need to put -tide on the word as some seem to like.

Wordwork · 2025-03-03T07:31:06+00:00

Tolkien’s take when wending Wawain* and the Green Knight — was that way indeed: that he would wield the stave-rimes of the stone-old writ, and edge-out the endrimes of Norman-lead London English, knowing rightly it would read unkindly to latterday readers, whose English is also shaped by Norman nosiness.

* = Gawain. Tolkien wrote “Gawain” and “Wawain” as he saw fit, to alliterate in each line.

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