Dig Into History – April 2019

27

ANGLO-SAXON WORDS

Here are a few that have long since “left” the

English vocabulary, but they are colorful.

Perhaps you might try including them in a

conversation with friends:

a “candle tree” (that

is, a candelabra or

candlestick with more

than one branch)

ANGLO-SAXON WORD MEANING

Candeltreow

Ealdor an “elder” (that is, an

ancestor or superior)

Eaxl-gestealla a “shoulder friend”

(that is, a very close

friend)

Gesithsumnes “collective

peacefulness” (that

is, a general feeling of

friendship between

members of a family)

Gleo-dream “joy” or “pleasure”

(that is, feeling of

pleasure that comes

from listening to

music)

Meolclithe “milk-soft” (that is, any

exceptionally gentle

thing or person)

Unweder “un-weather” (that is,

storm)

ANGLO-SAXON PLACE NAMES

Ever wonder about the origin of place names

in your state or country? Let’s have some

fun with Anglo-Saxon place names that have

come into modern English:

ANGLO-

SAXON

NAME

PRESENT-DAY

NAME

TRANSLATION OF NAME

ANGLO-SAXON NAME

Birmingham Beorma +

inga +

hamm

enclosure of the sons

or descendants of

Beorma (Ingas is the

Anglo-Saxon place

name for “the people

of.” Hamm is the Anglo-

Saxon place name for

“a homestead.”)

Hastings Halst +

ingas

Halsta’s people

Oxford Oxon +^

ford

place where oxen can

cross the river (Ford is

the Anglo-Saxon place

name for “shallow

river crossing.”)

Stanton Stan +

tun

Stony farmstead

(Tun is the Anglo-

Saxon place name

for “an enclosure.”)

Warwick Weir +

wic

dwelling by the weir

(A weir is a low dam

built across a river to

raise the level of water

upstream or regulate its

ĠRZWick is the Anglo-

Saxon place name for

“farm” or “dwelling.”)

Hi!

The Moche figures are super cool. The faces are so detailed. I wonder how much time it

took for them to make them. It looks like they are made out of clay. I go to an art camp in

the summer, where we make clay sculptures. Because of that, I know that you need a kiln

(the place where you cook the clay after you put it in the right shape) to cook the clay. Did

ey use fire for that? How? I think that the Moche figures may represent important gods or

es. The one on page 17 looks like an old grandma or a relative. Maybe they make figures of

s or other important people in their lives. The figure has a relaxed-looking face. It looks wise.

n page 18 looks like a warrior or a royal person because of his hat. Maybe they made figures of

people from myths, legends, or stories. Maybe they made figures of warriors or other high-ranked people.

This figure’s face looks happy. Maybe the artist was happy because of a good farming year so they made

the figure happy. Maybe the person or god that the figure represents is happy for some reason. Their

smiles can say a lot of things. The Moche figures can help us discover more about the Moche themselves.

— Sophia W., age 11

Wilmington, Delaware

a

the

goddesse

their relative

The figure on

l f

enjoyed reading We all so
your letter, Sophia.
Your observations are
very insightful! Look
for the answers to
your questions in an
upcoming
“Ask Away!”