Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:12:14 +0000

From Email to Anglo-Saxon: Why Translating to Old English Surprises Everyday Words Have you ever tried translating a modern expression like “email” or “spam” into Old English and wondered how bizarre it sounds? Surprisingly, transforming contemporary digital language into Anglo-Saxon has a way of revealing just how much our vocabulary has evolved—often in strange and fascinating ways. The journey from the digital present to the linguistic world of early medieval England transforms not just words, but entire concepts, reflecting cultural shifts that surprise even casual learners. ### The Shock of Translating Modern Tech Terms into Old English Imagine translating “delete” into dēletan (a verb not used in Old English) — no direct equivalent existed. Modern phrases like “phishing” or “surfing the web” become absurdly literal when rendered in Anglo Saxon: þens fōrthrWþing (surfing a web) or þē fērses (to hunt for treasures) — terms borrowed indirectly or creatively adapted. These translations shock because they unveil how much our tech-driven daily language is built on metaphors rooted in physical, oral culture.