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Marion
Feb. 29th, 2012
10:02 am - A Guide to Pronouncing Anglo-Saxon
Written Anglo-Saxon is a medieval language, so it is written basically phonetically—all written letters should be sounded (including r), except that in some cases they are part of a digraph where the combination represents a single sound (like modern th and in some people’s pronunciation, wh). (The Anglo-Saxon digraphs are: ig, cg, hl, hn, hr, hw, and sc.) And as in all medieval languages, the phonetic spelling reveals dialect differences and different scribal preferences, so many words can occur in several different spellings. Above all this affects the vowels in a word: i and y are almost interchangeable, and some dialects had “breaking” and others didn’t, so the same word may have æ, e, or ea--the last, the diphthong, being the “breaking.” Say diphthongs as the two vowels added together—for example, ea as e plus a, as in modern English “pear” not “hear.” (Some scholars think the diphthongs were pronounced differently from how they were spelled, but I don't share this view.)
Modern English has changed the sound of long vowels so that they no longer match the short ones (several are diphthongs, and long e is actually a long version of i--compare “pit” and “Pete”). The long vowels in Anglo-Saxon are long versions of the same sound as the short vowel, as in most foreign languages.
Stress is on the first syllable except when that is a prefix, such as ge- or for-. Modern English has a more variable stress. When the first (main) syllable is a diphthong, stress the entire diphthong as you would in modern English. Feel free to say unstressed syllables as loosely as you would in modern English—the variations in spelling suggest that was how they said them, too.
Americans and Australians may wish to try to pronounce Anglo-Saxon without the nasalization that distinguishes their accents from British accents; this is hard, but Anglo-Saxon should sound English, and absence of nasalization makes a big difference.
VOWELS
Accents indicate long vowels. Books conventionally use macrons, but when the scribes wrote the length mark, it was as an accent.
Note that in Anglo-Saxon y is always a vowel.
a
A “soft short a” as in, for example, Spanish or German. This is in fact the same sound as an American short o. When an m or n follows, an o is often written instead; for example mann or monn; evidently in such words, there wasn’t much difference.
á
A longer version of the above: “ahh.”
æ
A “hard short a,” like most modern English speakers would say for “hat.” The name of the letter in talking about Anglo-Saxon is “ash,” which is another example.
’æ (the accent should be over the letter but that’s hard to get on a computer)
Long version of the above. I do just that; what comes out is an open version of the open e, French è. Most people do what Latin and Old Norse use æ to represent, which is the diphthong ai, the sound in Modern English “I.” There is no evidence that was the sound in Anglo-Saxon, but it is less ugly and easier to say.
e
Short e much as in modern English.
é
A long closed e, as in German “See” or French “fée.” In other words a single sound close to the pronunciation of long a in modern English (for example “fare”), but without the diphthongal quality.
i
Short i much as in modern English (perhaps a “purer” sound)
í
Long version of the above. i.e. the sound of modern English ee, or a long i in other languages and as in the modern English loanword "machine." Note: this sound can also be spelled ig in Anglo-Saxon.
o
A short o as in modern British English (but closer, or "purer" than in many dialects), or as in , for example, Spanish or German.
ó
Long version of the above, as in German “so.”
u
The “oo” short u, as in “put.”
ú
oo as in “soon” or “rude.”
y
Short ü as in German “Hütte” or French “tu.” However, spelling shows that this sound was often confused with i.
ý
Long version of the above, as in German “Hüter” or “grün.” However, again, often confused with í.
CONSONANTS
Double consonants are pronounced twice, as in Italian, or as in modern English “penknife,” “unnoticed,” “still living,” and “proof found.” They are not just a mark of vowel shortness, as they usually are in modern English.
b
As in modern English
cg
Modern English j or dg. For example ecg is pronounced like its modern descendant, “edge.”
c
Two pronunciations: k and ch. Usually k before a, o, and u, long or short, and at the ends of words with such vowels, and ch before e, i, and y, long or short, and at the ends of words after i, é, and ‘æ. However, the following vowel is not a reliable guide as it is in, say, Italian. Use the modern pronunciation as a guide. For example, cild (ancestor of “child”) has the ch pronunciation, but cyning (ancestor of “king”) and cene (ancestor of “keen”) have k. It also has the k pronunciation finally after æ (e.g.: bæc (ancestor of “back”) and before a consonant at the start of a word, where it is silent in modern English (e.g.: cnáwan, ancestor of “know”). In some words where it follows n or l, it has the ch pronunciation: e.g.: 'ælc (ancestor of “each”) and þencan (ancestor of “think” and an exception to the modern English guideline rule). Beginners’ books traditionally put a dot over the ch c but one basically has to learn which pronunciation to use where. Note for German speakers: final ch c is not unvoiced German ch, even in ic, which is obviously cognate with German ich. That sound was represented by h.
d
As in modern English
f
Two sounds, modern English f (unvoiced) and v (voiced). Unvoiced at the beginning of a word, at the end of an accented word, next to another unvoiced consonant (e.g., p or t), and when double (e.g.: full, léof--ancestor of Shakespeare’s “lief”). Voiced, the v pronunciation, when single between vowels, between a vowel and another voiced sound (e.g., l, r, m, n), and finally in words like of when unstressed (e.g., lufian, ancestor of “love” and efne, ancestor of “even”).
g
Three or four pronunciations: g (as in “girl”), y (as in “yell”), a velar voiced ghh sound, and a short j.
--g before a, o, u, and y, long or short; after n; before a consonant; and when doubled. e.g.: gán, god, gylden, lang (ancestor of “long”), springan; glæd (ancestor of “glad”), and frogga (ancestor of “frog”).
--y before e and i, long or short, after those vowels and æ, long or short, and sometimes after r and l. e.g.: gé (ancestor of “ye”), giefan (ancestor of “give”), þegen, hálig (ancestor of “holy”), weg (ancestor of “way”), dæg (ancestor of “day”), sægde (ancestor of “said”), byrgan (ancestor of “bury”), fylgan, (ancestor of “follow”), and all the words with the ge- prefix. Note that i followed by the y g is identical to the sound ee, i.e.: í, which is why ig is an alternate spelling for í.
--ghh as sometimes in German “sagen” and “Wagen” when preceded and followed by any of a, o, and u, long or short, between one of them and an l or r, or after one of them even if in a group with another consonant. e.g.: dagas (ancestor of "days"), boga (ancestor of "bow"), hálga, beorgan, genog (ancestor of "enough"), and burg.
--Although g after n is usually sounded g, occasionally (e.g. sprengan, ancestor of "spring") it is instead j as in "edge," but shorter than in cg words.
As with c, beginners’ books traditionally put a dot over the y g and the few occurrences of j after n, but one basically has to learn which pronunciation to use where.
hl
Unvoiced l, similar to Welsh ll; this can be approximated by saying h and l in as quick succession as possible.
hn
Unvoiced n; again this can be approximated by saying h and n in as quick succession as possible.
hr
Unvoiced r; again this can be approximated by saying h and r in as quick succession as possible.
hw
Unvoiced w; this is the sound indicated by modern English wh and still a distinct phoneme in some British dialects; e.g.: "white," "whether." Again it can be approximated by saying h and w in as quick succession as possible.
h
Other than in the digraphs listed above, three pronunciations:
--initially, h as in modern English
-- Voiced chh as in Scottish "loch" or German "brauchen" after a, o, and u, long or short, and after consonants. e.g.: héah (ancestor of "high," and that is the reason for the "gh")
--Unvoiced chh as in German "ich" and as some English speakers say in "Munich" after e, i, and y, long or short. e.g.: riht (ancestor of "right," and that is the reason for the "gh")
j, k
rarely or never used
l, m, n, p
As in modern English
q
rarely or never used; the sound combination is written phonetically as cw or sometimes cu
r
Initially: slightly trilled
Otherwise: tongue-tip curved back, as in US English
sc
Modern English "sh," e.g.: scip, fisc, except in a few words, mainly loan-words, e.g.: scól (ancestor of "school" and borrowed from Latin), Scottas, áscian (ancestor of "ask," has past tense áscode)
s
As in modern British English "is," can be the voiced sound of "z" as well as unvoiced modern "s." Rules as for f: unvoiced at the beginning of a word, at the end of an accented word, next to another unvoiced consonant (e.g., p or t), and when double (e.g.: sunu, ancestor of "son," wæs, ancestor of "was," fæst, ancestor of "fast"). Voiced, the z pronunciation, when single between vowels, between a vowel and another voiced sound (e.g., l, r, m, n), and finally in words like is when unstressed (e.g., céosan, ancestor of "choose").
t
As in modern English
þ, ð (referred to as "thorn" and "eth" or sometimes "bar-d")
Used interchangeably for the two sounds of modern English th, voiced as in "this" and unvoiced as in "thin." Rules as for f and s: unvoiced at the beginning of a word, at the end of an accented word, next to another unvoiced consonant (e.g., p or t), and when double (e.g.: þencan, ancestor of "think," wearþ, "became," siþþan, "after"). Voiced when single between vowels and between a vowel and another voiced sound (e.g., l, r, m, n) (e.g., bróþor, ancestor of "brother," máþm, "treasure").
v
rarely or never used
w
As in modern English
x
rarely used, never initially; the sound combination is usually written phonetically as cs
y
never used as a consonant, only as a vowel
z
rarely or never used
Jul. 31st, 2008
Jul. 3rd, 2008
11:53 am - Blogathon
The manager quietly granted my request to take my vacation week at the end of this month.
This means I can do Blogathon again, after not being able to last year. Blogathon involves posting every half hour for 24 hours, for charity. This year's date is Saturday, July 26.
I did it in 2006, on runes, but was unable to register on the official site at blogathon.org because of the requirement to start at 9 am Eastern Time, which would have meant taking two days off work instead of one. I'd hoped to be an official participant this time and see if I could raise more money for my charity that way . . . but the official apparatus will not be there this year.
So what the heck, I'll do it anyway. I've joined ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
blogathon_2008 and I'll probably start at 9 am Eastern (6 am PDT) with the rest of the unofficial participants. I'll be blogging again for DELTA Rescue.
I hope I can raise some money for the cats and dogs. But I do want to emphasize that I know most of my friends are short on money. I'll be grateful for anything anyone can give, but won't be disappointed if people don't.
Just as important to me is the actual writing. I'll be spending as much as possible of the rest of my week writing; I have projects stacked to the ceiling. But I'm setting aside that twenty-four-hour period for writing here.
Does anyone have any ideas for what I should do with these 48-49 entries? I'm failing to come up with a good one. There's a meme going around to challenge people with a topic on each of the letters of the alphabet . . . but even that's only 26. And I'd like it to be something more focused because people are more likely to come back to read the entries than to read them in real-time. (I'll try to remember to make the "You may wish to unfriend me for the weekend!" post the prior week as I did in '06.)
Suggestions? Requests?
Jun. 7th, 2008
09:28 am - It's been a while since I did a silly quizzy thing
( The Ology Meme )
May. 31st, 2008
07:07 am - Þæs dæges (féower) word
se lofsang, es; m. A song of praise, hymn, psalm, canticle; lauds, i.e. morning prayer, the canonical service following the office of readings, or matins
herigendsang vel lofsang--"praise song or encomium"
Moises sang Gode lofsang--"Moses sang a psalm of praise to God"
"Gloria in excelsis Deo" sungon englas ... Nú forlǽte wé ðás lofsangas--"'Glora in excelsis Deo' sang the angels . . . Now let us leave the hymns"
Óþrum dagum on ðǽre wucan sý cantic gesungen, þæt is lofsang, þe tó þám dæge belimpð--"On the other days of the week let the canticle be sung, that is the hymn that appertains to that day"
Ic sang úhtsang æfter ðá wé sungon dægrédlíce lofsangas--"I sang matins, after which we sang the dawnlight songs of praise"
ðá se sealmsang gefylled wæs ðæs úhtlícan lofsanges--"when the psalm-singing of the dawn lauds was completed"
se lofsealm: psalm of praise - glosses laudes, lauds
þone lofsealm, þæt is, "Laudate Dominum de celis"--"the psalm of praise, that is, 'Laudate Dominum de cœlis"
séo herung, hering: praise
1. of a person
for manna herunge--"for the praise of men"
Mon sceal ðone ingong ðǽre tǽlinge wið heringe gemengan, ðætte híe for ðǽre lícunga ðǽre heringe . . . éac geðafigen ðá tǽlinge--"One must mix the introduction of the criticism with praise, so that they out of liking for the praise . . . also accept the criticism"
Benedictus gewilnode má þæt hé þrowode þysses middaneardes yfel þonne þá herunga, and þæt hé wǽre for Gode swýðe mid gewinnum geswænced þonne hé wǽre úp áhafen on þám herungum þisses andweardan lífes--"Benedict desired more to suffer the evil of this Midgard than the praise, and that he be much tormented for God's sake with trials than that he be elevated by the approval of this present life"
2. of a god
sé þe . . . his Drihten, þe is ealra gereorda gifend mid herincge ne ðancað--"he who . . . his Lord, who is the giver of all voices, does not thank with praise"
Heofon mid herungum swǽgéþ--"Heaven rings with praises"
3. a service of praise, lauds (morning prayer)
Begém herunga lofsangas þe we hlyniende syngað--"Hearken to the laudatory hymns of adoration that we ringingly sing"
séo lofherung: praise, commendation
Ic ágylde lofherunga ðé--"I [shall] render thee approving praise"
May. 30th, 2008
06:57 am - Þæs dæges word
úhtlíc (adj.): of dawn, early morning; of the time of matins (or nocturns or vigils)
tó ðǽm úhtlícum--"to the dawn"
on úhtlícum--"in the morning"
fram ðære tíde ðæs úhtlícan lofsanges--"from the hour of the matins song service"
þæt úhtgebed: morning prayers; matins or the office of readings, also sometimes called nocturns or vigils
úhtgebed vel þénung--"matins or morning office"
Se éadiga wer his úhtgebedum befeal--"The noble man was performing his morning prayers"
se úhtsang: matins or the office of readings, also sometimes called nocturns or vigils
Hú fela sealma on nihtlícum tídum tó singenne synt. On wintres tíman is se úhtsang þus tó beginnenne ...--"How many psalms there are to sing in the nocturnal hours. In winter-time, matins is to be begun thus . . ."
ðæt ðære nihte tó láfe síe æfter ðam úhtsange--"what remains of the night after vigils"
on úhtan ðone úhtsang gehýran--"in the pre-dawn to observe the nocturns"
úhtsanglíc (adj.): of the office of readings, matins (also called nocturns, vigils)
úhtsanglíc lof--"praise at matins"
séo morgengebedtíd: morning prayer-time; pl. the office of readings, or matins, also known as nocturnes or vigil
ðá hé þá his morgengebedtída wolde Gode gefyllan--"since he wished to render his morning prayer time to God"
se dægrédsang: dawn song, i.e. the sung service of lauds or morning prayer that follows matins or the office of readings
From Eástron oð ða kalendas Nouembris sý se ǽrest ðæs úhtsanges swá gemetegad, þæt lytel fæc gehealden sý betwyh þǽm úhtsange and þǽm dægredsange . . . and úpásprungenum dægriman dægredsang sý begunnen--"From Easter until November 1st, let the earliest of the lauds be so timed that little separation is made between matins and lauds . . . and with daylight broken, the lauds is begun"
se æftersang: after-song, i.e. the sung service of lauds or morning prayer that follows matins or the office of readings
Se forma tídsang is úhtsang mid ðám æftersange ðe ðártó gebirað--"The first canonical hour is matins with the service of morning prayer that is appropriate thereto"
æftersanga symbolnys--"matutinorum sollempnitas--"matutinal solemnities"
æftersanglic (adj.) Of lauds, of the sung service that follows matins or morning prayers
Lofe hí singon æftersingallice--"They sing lauds in matutinal fashion"
May. 29th, 2008
06:27 am - Þæs dæges (twegen) word
bénsian, boensian: to supplicate, entreat, pray, entreat in prayer
hine boensendu hwæthwugu from him--"entreating something from him"
boensendra--"of supplicants"
Ic wéne þæt hé wǽre biddende ðá upplican árfæstnesse mínra gesynta--"I believe that he was praying with the uttermost piety for my health"
gebénsian to pray
giboensandum ðínum--"by thy prayings"
May. 28th, 2008
12:47 pm - Þæs dæges word
þæt gebed, gebead, gebéd: supplication, prayer (supplanted bed)
1. request, plea to a person
Miltsa mé, abbud, and gefyl nú óþer gebæd mínre béne--"Pity me, abbot, and and fulfil now the other request of my supplication"
2. to a god
2a. prayer, praying
Hús mín hús gebeddes is--"My house is a house of prayer"
Séo stemn þǽre heortan bið swíðe gedréfed on þǽm gebede--"The voice of the heart will be very troubled in prayer"
Hé from gebede swíceð, ne mæg gewunian in gebedstówe--"He falters from praying, cannot remain in the oratory"
Híe on gebed féollon--"They fell down in prayer"
2b. a prayer
Hý gebédu sécaþ--"They seek prayers"
Críst sylf sang Pater noster ǽrest and þæt gebedd his leorningcnihtum tǽhte; and on ðám godcundan gebede sýn .VII. gebedu--""Christ himself first sang the paternoster [Lord's Prayer] and taught it to his disciples; and in that divinely inspired prayer there are seven supplications"
2c. a single petition or request
Gehýr mín gebéd--"Hear my prayer"
Seofon gebedu sint on þám Pater noster. On þám twám formum wordum ne synd náne gebedu, ac sind herunga. . . þæt forme gebed is, "Sý ðín nama gehálgod". . . þæt óðer gebed is . . . --"There are seven appeals in the paternoster. In the two first phrases [lit. words] there are no supplications, but [they] are praises . . . the first supplication is 'Hallowed be thy name' . . . the second appeal is . . ."
3. a prayer as an act of worship or ritual, prayer of the church
Hé mid micclum wópe þǽre byrgenne gebæd worhte mid sealmsange and mid óþrum gebedum þe tó þǽre wísan belumpon--"With great lamentation he performed the burial rite with psalm singing and with other prayers that belong to that form"
Hé féng on his gebedo, swá his gewuna wæs, for þǽr wæs án forehús æt þǽre cyrcan duru--"He started his prayers, as was his custom, for there was a porch at the church door"
09:27 am
An anonymous neighbor left an animal noise complaint folder taped to the wall beside our front door.
There were only three episodes of noise filled in on the log, and the highlighted section in the information states that it requires 5 in a 15-day period. Also apparently the standard is continuous noise for 10 minutes, so we can certainly discourage our resident hoodlum from sounding off for longer than 5 minutes. It would have been nice to be told he was bothering them--and it would be nice to be sure they are certain it is him, since there are at least 3 other barkers in the immediate vicinity. Also, I note no times between 10 pm and 8 am, so so far as I'm concerned he is already less disturbing than many canines.
But this is the comment the person wrote in the "notes" section:
Your god is too noise
take for it
We have a noise god! And are they offering to buy it or do they want us to take care of it?
Anyway, we will endeavor to keep the canine quieter, particularly when he's out in the yard, on the assumption that's who they meant.
May. 27th, 2008
09:59 pm - Þæs dæges (féower) word
séo bén: supplication, entreaty, demand, prayer
Ðín bén ys gehýred--"Thy prayer is heard".
Hí heom ðæra béna forwyrndon--"They denied their requests"
micelra béna dæg--"a day of many prayers"
Hé sceal erian .iii. æceras tó béne--"He shall sow 3 acres on request [as service to his lord]"
séo gebén: prayer, praying
hiora écelícum giboene--"their eternal praying"
Waciað . . . on gebedum, and gif séo cyrce bið geopenad þurh éowre gebéna, habbað hí eów siþþan ǽfre--"Keep watch . . . in prayer, and if the church is opened through your prayers, let it forever after hold you"
séo onbén: imprecation, prayer calling down something on someone
Hí ús mid heora wiðerwordum onbénum and wyrinessum éhtaþ--"They pester us with their hostile imprecations and curses"
séo bénríp: reaping by request; traditional term for a tenant's duty to his lord
Éac he sceal hwíltídum géara béon on manegum weorcum to hláfordes willan, toéacan bényrþe and bénrípe and mǽdmǽwecte--"Also he shall on occasion be prepared for many tasks at his lord's will, in addition to requested ploughing, requested reaping, and meadow mowing"
May. 26th, 2008
11:33 pm - Þæs dæges word
þæt bed, bead; séo bedu: supplication, prayer
Blinde men hé mid his bedum gehǽlde--"He healed blind people with his prayers"
Sing þú ðǽr þíne bedu--"Sing you there your prayings"
Ðínre béne ic wille onfón, and for ðínre bede ic ne tóweorpe ðá burg--"Your entreaty I will accept, and for your supplication I [will] not destroy the city"
May. 25th, 2008
02:09 am - Þæs dæges (twegen) word
unbeden (part. adj.): unbidden, unasked
Sume préostas ... unbedene gaderiaþ hí tó ðam líce, swá swá grǽdige ræmmas ðár ðár hí hold geséoð--"Some priests . . . gather unbidden at the body, like greedy ravens when they see a carcase"
unbiddende (part. adj.): not praying, without praying
Gif hé nele biddan ðæs écan léohtes, hé sitt ðonne blind be ðam wege unbiddende--"If he will not pray for the eternal light, then may he sit blind by the road not praying"
May. 24th, 2008
06:34 am - Þæs dæges word
gebiddan; gebæd, gebǽdon; gebeden (often with reflexive dat.): to pray, ask, worship
1. to ask (for) (gen.)
ǽr man hæbbe þriwa his rihtes gebeden--"before someone has thrice asked for his due"
Ne sceal nán faran . . . búton hé gebeden sý--"None shall go . . . unless he is asked"
Gebide þé miltsunge--"Beg for mercy"
2. to pray, say a prayer; to worship
Hé hine gebæd--"He was saying his prayers"
Maria híe gebæd to þǽm gebede þe se engel hire tó cwæþ--"Mary prayed about the prayer that the angel quoth to her"
Gebide þe þriwa éast--"Pray three times to the east"
Andreas gebæd tó Drihtne--"Andrew prayed to the Lord"
Uton gebiddan ús tó úrum Drihtne--"Let us pray to our Lord"
Menn gebiddaþ him tó þyssum béacne--"People pray to this beacon [the cross]"
"Gebide for míne sunu". . . Se hálga gebæd for þæt séoce cyld--"'Pray for my son.' . . . The saint prayed for the sick child"
Híe God and þone héahengel gebǽdon--"They adored God and the archangels"
Ne ðú fremedne god gebiddest--"Do not worship a foreign god"
Ðá ongunnan hí . . . déofulgyld weorþian and gebiddan--"Then they began to worship and pray to idols"
Gebide nú for mé þone god ðe ðú wurðast--"Pray now for me to the god that thou dost revere"
May. 23rd, 2008
01:15 pm - A quick update on my mucking about in the garden
Late last summer, we finally got a compost container. I filled it surprisingly fast, and we took to calling the contents The Monster, for the way it engulfed fruit and vegetable debris and belched out clouds of flies. And especially at the start, it belched out clouds of spores, too, an indication of success; but no matter how I turned it, I could not get it to cook all through; it would have patchy hot zones and areas of clammy putrescence. I turned it and turned it--and as the year went on, it got so full that sometimes the lid would be perched on top of the pile, and slowly sink overnight. It was a rainy winter, and after the door out to the driveway swelled shut it was too much of a chore to turn the pile regularly, not to mention the unpleasantness of throwing about clammy rotten stuff while the neighbor's tree dripped rain down my neck. So I largely left it alone, except for feeding times.
I took a good look at it in spring after the weather dried out and the door unstuck. The level had sunk by a good foot and underneath the top layer of leaves, geranium clippings, and veggie peelings--solid black stuff, moist like glue, with leaves and twigs peeking out. I started to turn the pile over, discovered that it was indeed warm, and then in the bottom foot, hit worms. I hardly ever see earthworms in the garden here--clearly they preferred the compost. Not a conventional success, but some kind of success; I dragged a bucketful into the sideyard, applied it to the top of the soil, and have done so again every time I can face the effort. The stuff is meaningfully heavy, and I seem to have manufactured rather a lot of it.
My father always said it was useless to grow vegetables in the garden because caterpillars and slugs would eat them all. But the housemate has become a voracious consumer of organic produce, and after half a dozen fingerling potatoes and two beets that I snuck out of the compost bag and into the soil last year flourished, she wanted me to try others. So, early in the spring we came back from the farmers' market with six cauliflower and six broccoli seedlings. The housemate swore she would be able to tell which was which, and that she would eat the produce. These have so far produced mixed results. The broccolis just sit there. I am beginning to wonder whether the tree shades them a little too much. Of the caulis, further along in the same bed, all but one immediately got remorselessly attacked by slugs. Beer traps did little good--for one thing, the dog kept drinking the beer. Two plants panicked and immediately produced wispy six-inch flower stalks. They are still there, almost leafless, waving their pathetic flowers in the air. For some reason, a foot behind them, one plant laughed at the predators, and three weeks ago, I plopped a large cauliflower on the kitchen table. The remaining caulis seemed to be concentrating on keeping a few leaves . . . except that when I parted the leaves on one of them and peered inside, there was an infant cauliflower. It was about three quarters of an inch across. A week later, it was four inches, and I pointed it out to the housemate. She was thrilled but insisted I leave it to see how big it could get. This morning I finally harvested it. It is the size of a soccer ball--but parts of it are starting to lift above other parts of it in a striving for efflorescence that suggests it will not long be good to eat.
I was told crucifers required a lot of water, so I have gone from every other day to every day as the weather got hotter. One of my clues was the re-emergence of the potatoes in the side yard, as promised. They are poking their heads above the pansies, at least five of them, and almost perfectly spaced, bless them. I just had to liberate one from where it was getting bent under the bottom of the fence. So that's more daily watering.
We also had two potted mini-tomato plants last year. One produced numerous tiny, sweet globes; the other labored mightily and bore only one, which remained squarish and greenish and I finally nabbed it as the weather started to chill, and fried it.
Rather too early this year, we brought home a seedling that I hopefully plopped in the larger pot. It was brave, but it struggled against the cold. It clung on to its blossoms, but its leaves withered. Now that it is warmer, it is growing new ones at the base; and one of the original flowers has given rise to a minute green globe, perhaps a quarter of an inch wide.
So two weeks ago we obtained another seedling--this one for full-size Roma fruit, so it resides in a gigantesque pot I found on sale at Safeway, and has bamboo hoops crossed above it by way of discipline. And on the chair on the porch resides a third tomato, this one a dwarf hanging-pot variety (the housemate says she will hang it, but I'm afraid my gardening will lead to the collapse of the porch roof). It's producing fruit like gangbusters. My spiderplants, finally moved outside for the summer, are grouped around the base of the chair like ladies in waiting. Holly seedlings have taken root in two of them, but I haven't the heart to uproot them. More daily watering, of course.
I'm trying again with coleus seeds in pots under the shady tree, and with herbs for the housemate in pots in the full sun. They survived the winter, though I had thought one hadn't--it's growing back. And I have added a pepper plant to torment the housemate with the sight of.
Two patches of my nasturtiums have come back to life: orange at one end of the back fence, pale yellow at the other. They are as usual rioting and emitting seeds; snails shelter behind them on the white paint of the fence.
And we also got some pea seedlings. They are climbing strings up the back fence, with the third-generation morning glories starting to race them. And a couple are climbing the chainlink fence at the side. They are starting to flower--modest creamy ruffles--and I watch them throwing their tendrils in great circles, only to find the support right above the last one. For some reason one plant is getting clobbered by the slugs; the others aren't. The scapegoat pea.
Emboldened by this, I have clawed back a narrow strip of territory from the tall grass in front of the fence on the other side and put in sunflowers on one side of the oleander bush, runner beans on the other. This morning I counted nine bean seedlings beginning to peep above ground, but only three sunflowers.
For the peas against the chainlink fence, I put down some of the compost where I had scratched the patch out of the grass. So, in front of the peas, a vine is growing--some sort of gourd. I'm hoping it and the nasturtiums between them will crowd out the grass over there.
The grass, of course . . . grows. It is lawnmower season.
06:33 am - Þæs dæges word
ábiddan; ábæd, ábǽdon; ábeden: to pray, ask
1. to pray
tó mæginðrymme ðínum tó ábiddanne--"to pray to thy majesty"
2. to entreat, beg
Ábiddaþ hine--"Plead with him"
3. to ask for, beg for
séo áwyrgednes ðe éower yldran ábǽdon sylfe--"the evil that your ancestors themselves begged for"
Hí ábǽdon æt ðám Egiptiscon hira fatu--"They asked the Egyptians for their pots"
Ðǽm ðe bið máre befæst, from ðǽm máre bið ábeden--"Whom more is entrusted to, from him is more asked"
Willtú wit unc ábiddan drincan?--"Do you want to ask for a drink along with us two?"
Ðú ábǽde æt mé, ðæt ic ðé write--"You begged me to write to you"
4. to get by asking (usually acc., occas. gen.)
Ðá ábæd héo án hridder--"Then she borrowed a sieve"
Hé wénde ðæt hit sum óðer man ábiddan wolde oþþe gebicgan--"He reckoned that some other person would get it by asking or by purchase"
Ðéah ðe ic georne bǽde, ne mihte ic lýfnesse ábiddan--"Though I asked earnestly, I could not get permission"
Ðá sendon hý tuá heora ǽrendracan to Rómánum æfter friðe; and hit ábiddan ne mihtan--"Then they [the Goths] sent their ambassadors twice to Rome for peace; and could not obtain it"
Lucius bæd hine Crístenne béon and éac ábæd--"Lucius asked him to be a Xian and [also] got his wish"
Ðá ábǽdon híe æt Gode, ðæt hit rínde--"Then they implored God that it should rain"
ðæt gé æt ǽnegum godum mehten rén ábiddan--"that you might get rain by praying to any gods"
sé ðe sum wundorlíc ðing on Godes naman dón wile, oððe sé ðe sumes wundres dyslíce æt Gode ábiddan wile--"he who wishes to do some miraculous thing in God's name, or he who wishes to get some miracle from God thus by prayer"
May. 22nd, 2008
07:00 am - Þæs dæges word
biddan; bæd, bǽdon; beden: to bid, ask; pray (for) (with acc., dat. or prep. of person and gen., acc., prep., or clause)
Biddað, and gé underfóð--"Ask, and ye [shall] receive"
Híe mid hálsunga hine bǽdon and þus cwǽdon--"They asked him with entrieaties and spoke thus . . ."
Drihten wile þæt hine mon bidde--"The Lord wishes to be asked"
Hé bæd gangan forð góde geféran--"He bade the good companions go forth"
Bide helpes hine--"Ask him for help"
Andreas ongann merelíðendum miltsa biddan--"Andrew began to ask mercy for the seafarers"
Ne bæd se blinda náðor ne goldes, ne seolfres, ne náne woruldlice ðing--"The blind man did not ask either for gold, or for silver, or for any worldly thing"
hwæne hé byddan mihte fultum--"of whom he might request aid"
Dó þæt ic bidde--"Do what I ask"
Gehýr, God, gebéd mín ðon ic bidde--"Hear, God, my prayer that I pray"
Hí ongunnon for his hreddinge God biddan--"They began to pray to God for his salvation"
Wé biddaþ þæt þú fram ús ne gewíte--"We entreat that you do not leave us"
swá hwæt swá gé biddað æt mínum Fæder--"whatever you pray to my Father for"
Hé bæd æt Gode þæt hé móste fandian Ióbes--"He requested of God that he might be able to tempt Job"
Men him forgifnesse biddaþ--"People ask him for forgiveness"
Sum þearfa sæt nacod, and bæd him hrægles--"A needy man sat naked and asked him for clothing"
Hwí ne bidst ðú ðé beþunga and plaster lífes lǽcedómes æt lífes fréan?--"Why don't you ask for nourishment and dressings of life's medicine for yourself from the lord of life?"
Bide for ús, þæt God þás nǽddran fram ús áfyrsige--"Pray for us, that God drive the serpents away from us"
May. 21st, 2008
11:56 am - Þæs dæges word
séo bletsung, bledsung: blessing, benediction, hallowing, consecration
1. consecration
Hé mid his bletsunge þæt wæter tó wíne awende--"With his blessing, he turned the water to wine"
swá Thomas tó þám tíman ágéan férde búton bletsunga--"as Thomas at that time was setting off without a consecration"
2. making the sign of the cross, being crossed
Secgað sume gedwǽsmenn þæt sum orfcyn sý þe man bletsigan ne sceole, and cweðað þæt hí þurh bletsunge misfarað, and ðurh wyrigunge geðéoð--"Some morons say that there are some cattle that should not have the sign of the cross made over them, and declare that they decline from blessings and thrive on cursing"
3. adoration, praise
Wyrþe þú eart, Drihten, þæt þú onfó wuldor and bletsunga--"Worthy thou art, Lord, that thou receive glory and blessings"
4. benediction; divine grace, benefits
Wulfréd mid bledsunge þæs pápan hwearf eft tó his ágnum biscopdóme--"With the pope's benediction, Wulfred returned to his own bishopric"
Æfter ðæs engles bletsunga and hálettunga swígende þohte hwæt séo hálettung wǽre--"After the angel's blessing and greeting [Mary] considered in silence what the greeting might be"
Cyn his on bletsunge byþ--"His kin is blest"
Sí bletsung Drihtnes ofer éow--"May the Lord's blessing be upon ye"
Maria bróhte eallum geléaffullum bletsunga and éce hǽlo--"Mary brought all who believe blessings and eternal benefit"
séo brídbletsung, brýdbletsung: wedding blessing
Man ne mót sillan him brídbletsunge--"They may not be given the marriage blessing [by priests]"
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