Ye olde!

Do you know what the Old English word for love is? Not what you'd expect!

When people think about "Old English," they usually picture Shakespeare—all those thees, thous, and haths. But in reality, Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English, which is practically current compared to the real thing. True Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) was spoken more than a millennium ago. It’s the language of Beowulf, filled with vivid, metaphorical words that describe the world in ways we’ve almost entirely forgotten. To understand the DNA of our modern vocabulary, we have to look back past the Renaissance to a time when the body could be described as a "bone-locker" and destiny was an inescapable force. Here are 10 Old English terms that reveal the epic, haunting roots of some of the words we use today.

In Old English, wyrd wasn't an adjective for something "strange"; it was a powerful noun representing the inescapable force of destiny. The Anglo-Saxons believed that while a person had some agency, the ultimate weaving of their life was handled by forces beyond their control. In that sense, wyrd could be translated as "the way things are meant to be." This is where Shakespeare got the "Weird Sisters" in Macbeth—they weren't just odd; they were the "Fates."

The Anglo-Saxons were masters of the "kenning," a compound expression with metaphorical meaning. Banloca literally translates to "bone-locker." It paints the human body not as a temple, but as a sturdy enclosure designed to keep your skeleton and spirit from wandering off. Interesting, don’t you think?

If you’ve ever woken up at 4:00 a.m. and immediately started stressing about every mistake you’ve made since the third grade, you’ve experienced úhtcearu. Úht refers to the hour just before dawn, and cearu means "care" or "sorrow." In other words, it describes pre-dawn anxiety or what we might jokingly call the "3:00 a.m. scaries."

This is a word you might find in an epic like Beowulf and would have been the ultimate Anglo-Saxon compliment. Beadu means "battle," and rof means "strong" or "valiant." It describes a very specific type of courage, the kind that flourishes only when the swords are drawn. To make it easier for modern readers, today it would translate into "battle-brave." Back then, it was the highest form of social currency.

This is the direct ancestor of our modern word "love." While it sounds cute and fluffy now, the Old English lufu carried a weight of duty, affection, or religious devotion (such as the love of God). It shared roots with the Old High German lubo, emphasizing a deep, enduring bond rather than just a fleeting crush. It really took centuries to evolve into the lighthearted "love" we use today, even for pizza or hobbies.

Another brilliant kenning, heofon-candel, is a very poetic compound word. Heofon means "heaven" and candel, "candle." The Anglo-Saxons saw the sun as a guiding light placed in the sky by a higher power. The phrase suggests that the sun is a gift, a light set out in the house of the world by a divine creator.

Did you ever have a dream that felt ominous or strangely significant? While we use the word "dream" today, the Anglo-Saxons had a more accurate term for those prophetic kinds of dreams, swefn. The word is related to other Germanic terms associated with sleep, such as Old English swefan ("to sleep"). Yet, to them, a swefn wasn't just a random brain-firing; it was often seen as a vision or an omen.

The simple way to translate this term is with the word "family." But back in the Middle Ages, a family wasn’t just your mom, dad, and siblings. In a tribal society, your maegth was everything. It refers to your clan, your bloodline, and your extended family. If you didn't have a maegth, you were essentially a ghost in the eyes of the law. The maegth was actually responsible for paying wergild (blood money) if you committed a crime.

Literally, andsaca translates as "one who speaks against," meaning someone who denies, accuses, or opposes. In other words, it referred to an enemy, an adversary. But it wasn't just someone you disliked; an andsaca was someone who stood in direct opposition to your truth or your faith. In Old English literature, andsaca could describe spiritual enemies as well as literal monsters. In Christian texts, it was even used as a term for Satan, the ultimate adversary.

Wuldor was a word used to express glory, splendor, or honor. It often referred to the radiance of God or the celebrated fame of a great king. In Old English, wuldor was the term for "celestial splendor." The word conveys more than simple praise—it suggests a brilliance of reputation or divine glory so powerful that it seems almost to shine.

SPICE UP YOUR LANGUAGE, AMICI!

Beyond pizza: 10 Italian words every American knows and uses

Image: Dan Novac

Whoever has been to Italy knows that Italians have a rich cultural history. Their beautiful language includes terms that perfectly encapsulate the meaning of things other languages need more than one word to define. Since food and classical music are two very successful Italian exports, it should come as no surprise that many words we use in English-speaking countries relating to these areas can be traced back to their Italian origins. However, there are many other instances where this bella lingua has made its way into our daily conversations. Are you familiar with the following ten?

Image: Hayley Murray

Some of the words on this list are more obviously Italian than others, and "bravo" is definitely one of them. We use this word in the same way as you use it in Italian, as a congratulatory exclamation that accompanies the name of the subject.

The main difference between the way it is used in Italian and English is that in Italian, a woman is described as brava, while a man is bravo. In English, however, we say "bravo" for both men and women.

Image: Manuel Nägeli

It should come as no surprise that many words in this list come from the realm of classical music. The word "maestro" is an exact translation of the word "master" and is used to describe an expert in an artistic field. It is also sometimes used to describe a sports star.

Image: Edward Cisneros

Keeping on with the trend of classical music terms, we encounter "prima donna." In the English language, this term is used as a single word and it describes the same character as in Italian: the lead female singer in an opera.

However, the most common use of the word in English is to describe people who take themselves too seriously and expect others to treat them in the same way.

Image: Stefan C. Asafti

A term that sounds as Italian as it should, "al Forno" means "in the oven." It is used to describe dishes that are cooked in an oven, like pizza, prosciutto, pasta, and more. The term is commonly seen in Italian restaurants, written on menus, and elsewhere.

Image: Rachel Loughman

While in English, the word "tempo" is used to describe the different time signatures used in music, the term in its original Italian means "time" and is used in that broad sense.

The tempo of music refers to the speed and measures the beats per minute of a certain piece.

Image: Museums of History New South Wales

A fancy word, indeed, "circa" is used in English in the same way as in Italian, to mean "approximately." The term is used when one needs to mark a specific year or period and is more commonly seen in written text than in spoken language.

Image: Eaters Collective

Another Italian term that has become a household word, thanks to its ubiquitous use in menus and restaurant names, is "panini." As we all know by now, in English-speaking countries, a panini is a toasted sandwich.

But, if we ask for a "panini" in Italy, we will receive two, or more, sandwiches, since panini is the plural and "panino" is the singular.

Image: Daria Strategy

A similar word to the previously mentioned "prima donna," a "diva" describes a woman of great talent in the opera. But it is more commonly used to refer to a woman who is temperamental or difficult to please. The word is very much associated with the world of show business but it can also be used in other contexts.

Image: Clem Onojeghuo

As it happens with "panini," the word "paparazzi" is the plural form in its original Italian version. But, unlike a panini which is usually required as a single item, even if the word is in its plural form, paparazzi photographers are rarely alone, making the use of the plural form, appropriate. A single photographer would be called a "paparazzo."

Image: Helena Lopes

We finish the list with a word used mostly in academic circles but heard in many other areas, especially since the explosion of social media in recent decades. A "dilettante" is an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to know the matter at hand.

We all have encountered such individuals. They are everywhere, offering their "expert" advice on things as varied as economics, life lessons, skincare, cooking tips, and everything you can think of. Thanks to Italians, we have a word for them.