Meanings
proper noun
- historyThe ancestor language of Modern English, also called Anglo-Saxon, spoken in most of Britain from about 400 to 1100.
Synonyms: Anglo-Saxon
- colloquialnonstandardproscribedArchaic English (Early Modern English) or Middle English speech or writing, or an imitation of this: "old" English.
Those who claim that they've been reading Shakespeare in Old English betray their ignorance: they haven't.
2008, Stephen J. Harris, Bryon Lee Grigsby, Misconceptions About the Middle Ages, page 177 - historicalmediaThe form of black letter used by 16th-century English printers.
- IrelandhistoryA historical ethnic group in Ireland descended from Norman invaders from Britain from the 12th century to the 17th century.
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe ancestor language of Modern English, also called Anglo-Saxon, spoken in most of Britain from about 400 to 1100.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic إِنْجْلِيزِيَّة عَتِيقَة
- إِنْجْلِيزِيَّة عَتِيقَة (ʔinglīziyya ʕatīqa)ancestor language of modern English
Basque antzinako ingelesa
- antzinako ingelesaancestor language of modern English
Bengali কদীম ইংরেজী
- কদীম ইংরেজী (kôdīm iṅgrezī)ancestor language of modern English
Bulgarian староанглийски език
- староанглийски език (staroanglijski ezik)ancestor language of modern English
Catalan anglès antic, anglés antic
- anglès anticancestor language of modern English
- anglés anticancestor language of modern English
Chinese Mandarin 古英語 /古英语
- 古英語 /古英语 (gǔyīngyǔ)ancestor language of modern English
Czech stará angličtina
- stará angličtinaancestor language of modern English
Danish angelsaksisk, oldengelsk
- angelsaksiskancestor language of modern English
- oldengelskancestor language of modern English
Dutch Angelsaksisch, Oudengels
- Angelsaksischancestor language of modern English
- Oudengelsancestor language of modern English
Esperanto Anglosaksa lingvo
- Anglosaksa lingvoancestor language of modern English
Estonian vanainglise keel
- vanainglise keelancestor language of modern English
Finnish muinaisenglanti
- muinaisenglantiancestor language of modern English
French anglo-saxon, vieil anglais
- anglo-saxonancestor language of modern English
- vieil anglaisancestor language of modern English
German Angelsächsisch, angelsächsische Sprache
- Angelsächsischancestor language of modern English
- angelsächsische Spracheancestor language of modern English
- Altenglischancestor language of modern English
- altenglische Spracheancestor language of modern English
Greek αρχαία αγγλική γλώσσα
- αρχαία αγγλική γλώσσα (archaía anglikí glóssa)ancestor language of modern English
Hebrew אנגלית עתיקה
- אנגלית עתיקהancestor language of modern English
Hindi पूर्व-अंग्रेज़ी
- पूर्व-अंग्रेज़ी (pūrv-aṅgrezī)ancestor language of modern English
Hungarian óangol (nyelv)
- óangol (nyelv)ancestor language of modern English
Icelandic fornenska
- fornenskaancestor language of modern English
Indonesian bahasa Inggris Kuna
- bahasa Inggris Kunaancestor language of modern English
Irish Angla-Shacsainis, Sean-Bhéarla
- Angla-Shacsainisancestor language of modern English
- Sean-Bhéarlaancestor language of modern English
Italian anglosassone, inglese antico
- anglosassoneancestor language of modern English
- inglese anticoancestor language of modern English
Japanese 古英語
- 古英語 (Koeigo)ancestor language of modern English
Korean 고영어, 고대영어
- 고영어 (Goyeong'eo)ancestor language of modern English
- 고대영어 (Godaeyeong'eo)ancestor language of modern English
Latin lingua anglosaxonica
- lingua anglosaxonicaancestor language of modern English
Lithuanian senoji anglų kalba
- senoji anglų kalbaancestor language of modern English
Malay bahasa Inggeris Kuno, Inggeris Kuno
- bahasa Inggeris Kunoancestor language of modern English
- Inggeris Kunoancestor language of modern English
Norwegian Bokmål gammelengelsk, gammalengelsk
- gammelengelskancestor language of modern English
- gammalengelskancestor language of modern English
Persian انگلیسی قدیم
- انگلیسی قدیم (engelisi qadim)ancestor language of modern English
Polish język staroangielski
- język staroangielskiancestor language of modern English
Portuguese anglo-saxão, anglo-saxónico
- anglo-saxãoancestor language of modern English
- anglo-saxónicoancestor language of modern English
- anglo-saxônicoancestor language of modern English
- inglês antigoancestor language of modern English
Romanian anglosaxonă, engleză veche
- anglosaxonăancestor language of modern English
- engleză vecheancestor language of modern English
Russian древнеангли́йский язы́к, древнеангли́йский
- древнеангли́йский язы́к (drevneanglíjskij jazýk)ancestor language of modern English
- древнеангли́йский (drevneanglíjskij)ancestor language of modern English
Spanish anglosajón, idioma anglosajón
- anglosajónancestor language of modern English
- idioma anglosajónancestor language of modern English
- inglés antiguoancestor language of modern English
Swahili Kiingereza cha Kale
- Kiingereza cha Kaleancestor language of modern English
Swedish fornengelska
- fornengelskaancestor language of modern English
Tagalog lumang Ingles
- lumang Inglesancestor language of modern English
Thai ภาษาอังกฤษโบราณ
- ภาษาอังกฤษโบราณ (paasăa anggrit bohraan)ancestor language of modern English
Turkish Eski İngilizce
- Eski İngilizceancestor language of modern English
Ukrainian староанглі́йська, староанглі́йська мо́ва
- староанглі́йська (staroanhlíjsʹka)ancestor language of modern English
- староанглі́йська мо́ва (staroanhlíjsʹka móva)ancestor language of modern English
Urdu قدیم انگریزی
- قدیم انگریزیancestor language of modern English
Cite this entry
APA
Old English. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20English
MLA
“Old English.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20English. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old English,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20English.
Source: Old English on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.