1. aelf
2. aelb elf
3. aethel
4. aedil noble
5. badu
6. beado
7. beo fight, battle
8. blith cheerful
9. bregu prince
10. ceol keel, ship
11. coen
12. coin
13. cene bold, fierce
14. cuth
15. cud known, famous
16. cwic(u)
17. quic alive
18. dryct
19. dryht band of retainers
20. ead/ed
21. aead bliss, prosperity
22. eald
23. ald old, eminent
24. kuh
25. alh temple, refuge
26. earcon
27. ercon genuine, excellent
28. earn eagle
29. ecg
30. ec edge, sword
31. eofor boar
32. eorcon genuine, simple
33. eormen
34. yrmen universal, immense, whole
35. folc folk, people, nation, tribe
36. ford forth, forwards
37. fri free
38. gold gold
39. grim savage, fierce
40. haem home
41. haeth heath
42. heah high, illustrious
43. healf half
44. hreth victory
45. hroth(i) fame
46. huaet sharp, bold
47. hyg
48. hugu mind, heart, courage
49. iaru ready, prepared
50. leof desirable, friend, dear
51. maegen strength, might, ability
52. oidil native country, one’s land
53. ongen opposed, against, contrary to
54. OS god
55. rath quick, clever
56. saex
57. sax
58. sex knife, short sword
59. sele house
60. tat tender, delicate
61. theod folk, people
62. til good, excellent
63. torct illustrious, bright
64. trum firm, strong
65. tun enclosure
66. waeg motion, wave, billow
67. wig strife
68. wil will, desire, pleasure
69. b(e)ald
70. balt
71. balth* bold, brave
72. be(o)rht
73. berct
74. berict* bright, noble
75. beorn
76. bern* man, warrior (poetic)
77. brand sword
78. brod
79. brord point, lance
80. burg
81. burh castle, town
82. cyni
83. cyn(n)(e)* kin, family
84. degn thane, servant, warrior
85. ferth mind, soul, life, person
86. flaed
87. fled cleanliness, beauty
88. for journey
89. frith(u)
90. frit
91. frid peace, security
92. gar* spear
93. geld worship, sacrifice, payment
94. gifu
95. geofu gift
96. gis(i)l hostage
97. gund(i)
98. gunn(r) war, combat
99. gyth
100. gyd* war, combat
101. haed
102. hathu* battle
103. heard
104. hard* hardy, firm, brave
105. here
106. heri* army, host, folk
107. helm helmet, protection, protector
108. hild(e)* war, combat
109. hun young bear
110. Iac dance
111. laf legacy, relic, survivor
112. lid soft, gentle
113. lind
114. linda serpent
115. maer(e) famous
116. man
117. mon man
118. mund hand, protection
119. noth boldness, booty
120. raed
121. red* counsel, wisdom
122. refu steward, high official
123. ric powerful, ruler, kingdom
124. sig
125. sige* victory
126. stan stone
127. swith
128. swid strong
129. theof criminal, thief
130. theow servant, slave, follower
131. thryth
132. thryd* force, strength, majesty
133. w(e)alch
134. walh foreigner, slave
135. weald
136. wald* power, rule, possession
137. weard
138. ward guardian
139. wic dwelling place, village
140. wict
141. wiht* creature, person
142. wine
143. wini friend, protector
144. wiw
145. wiu holy
146. wuda
147. widu
148. wudu wood
149. wulf
150. wulf* wolf
151. wyn
152. wynn* joy, delight
Popularity of Use
A % E % I % O % U %
49 32% 66 43% 39 25% 30 19% 28 18%
B % C % D % F % G %
19 12% 23 15% 44 28% 20 13% 23 15%
H % J % K % L % M %
39 25% 0 0% 1 <1% 37 24% 9 5%
N % P % Q % R % S %
32 21% 0 0% 1 <1% 47 30% 11 7%
T % V % W % X % Y %
33 21% 0 0% 27 17% 3 1% 12 7%
Z %
0 0%
Popularity of Use
43% E:
32% A, E:
30% R, A, E:
28% D, R, A, E: raed, red*, ead/ed, aead,
25% H, I, D, R, A, E: haed, hild(e)*, here, heri*, heard, hard*, heah,
24% L, H, I, D, R, A, E: lid, eald, ald, alh, aedil,
21% T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: lind, linda, tat, til, hreth, haeth, rath, aethel, earn,
19% O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: noth, theod, oidil, hroth(i),
18% U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: hun, hathu*, tun, iaru, huaet,
17% W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: theow, walh, weald, wald*, weard, ward, wiht*, wine, wini, wiw, wiu, wuda, widu, wudu, wil,
15% G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: wic, wict, Iac, ric, w(e)alch, gund(i), gunn(r), geld, gar*, degn, wig, waeg, torct, ongen, hugu, gold, eorcon, ecg, ec, earcon, ercon, cwic(u), cuth, cud, coen, coin, cene, ceol,
13% F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: wulf, wulf*, laf, theof, refu, gifu, geofu, frith(u), frit, frid, for, flaed, fled, ferth, leof, healf, fri, ford, folc, eofor, aelf,
12% B, F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: b(e)ald, balt, balth*, be(o)rht, berct, berict*, beorn, bern*, brand, brod, brord, burg, burh, aelb, badu, beado, beo, blith, bregu,
7% Y, S, B, F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: wyn, wynn*, thryth, thryd*, sig, sige*, stan, swith, swid, gyth, gyd*, gis(i)l, cyni, cyn(n)(e)*, sele, OS, hyg, dryct, dryht,
5% M, Y, S, B, F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: mund, man, mon, maer(e), helm, trum, maegen, haem, grim, eormen, yrmen,
1% X, M, Y, S, B, F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: saex, sax, sex,
<1% K, Q, X, M, Y, S, B, F, G, C, W, U, O, T, N, L, H, I, D, R, A, E: kuh, quic,
0% J, P, V, Z
Development Timeline of Old English
43% E:
32% A:
30% R:
28% D: counsel, wisdom; bliss, prosperity;
25% H, I: battle; war, combat; army, host, folk; hardy, firm, brave; high, illustrious;
24% L: soft, gentle; noble; temple, refuge; old, eminent;
21% T, N: serpent; tender, delicate; good, excellent; quick, clever; heath; victory; noble; eagle;
19% O: boldness, booty; folk, people; native country, one’s land; fame;
18% U: young bear; battle; enclosure; ready, prepared; sharp, bold;
17% W: servant, slave, follower; foreigner, slave; power, rule, possession; guardian; creature, person; friend, protector; holy; wood; will, desire, pleasure;
15% G, C: dwelling place, village; creature, person; dance; powerful, ruler, kingdom; foreigner, slave; war, combat; worship, sacrifice, payment; spear; thane, servant, warrior; strife; motion, wave, billow; illustrious, bright; opposed, against, contrary to; mind, heart, courage; gold; genuine, simple; edge, sword; genuine, excellent; alive; known, famous; bold, fierce; keel, ship;
13% F: wolf; legacy, relic, survivor; criminal, thief; steward, high official; gift; peace, security; journey; cleanliness, beauty; mind, soul, life, person; desirable, friend, dear; half; free; forth, forwards; folk, people, nation, tribe; boar; elf;
12% B: bold, brave; bright, noble; man, warrior (poetic); sword; point, lance; castle, town; elf; fight, battle; cheerful; prince;
7% Y, S: joy, delight; force, strength, majesty; victory; stone; strong; war, combat; hostage; kin, family; house; god; mind, heart, courage; band of retainers;
5% M: hand, protection; man; famous; helmet, protection, protector; firm, strong; strength, might, ability; home; savage, fierce; universal, immense, whole;
1% X: knife, short sword;
<1% K, Q: temple, refuge; alive;
0% J, P, V, Z
Conclusion: Old English was introduced to england around mid-5th century by Anglo-Saxons. Lets assume this is happening at around its cultural peak (15%) with keeled ships. It been many centuries since the previous war which involved battles and Armies (long enough that the previous word for war was replaced) they are leaving behind a kingdom at war. Aesop's Fable of the Eagle and the Serpent showed up a few centuries ago. Invaded by Foreigners, combat is between warriors armed with spears and swords, Though temples are millennia old ideas inherited from Romans and Greeks- as places of refuge, religious worship involves sacrifice, payment in gold. Slavery is common, the populace live in 'dwellings' in villages surrounded by an enclosure and ruled by a local Thane. Wood is the common building material.
Over the next few centuries they see the rise of administrators such as stewards, laws are introduced theft is a crime. Stories of elves circulate. Predators such as Wolves, Thieves, and Criminals are active. Its peaceful and cleanliness is increasingly popular.
Eventually villages have become towns, castles are popular, nobles and Princes rule. Fights between Warriors with swords and pointed lances are spoken of in poetry.
War returns anew. Hostages taken. The Christian God is worshipped. Stone building materials are commonly used. Families live in houses. Important people have bands of retainers.
Helmets are increasingly popular protection.
Smiths produce knives and shortswords.
Temples are built and the Idea of refuge (criminals hiding in the church) returns in popularity.
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