Beowulf Vocabulary

Seven words that appear in Beowulf

af•flic•tion
n. A condition of pain, suffering, or distress; A cause of pain, suffering, or distress.
—Synonyms 2. mishap, trouble, tribulation, calamity, catastrophe, disaster. Affliction, adversity, misfortune, trial refer to an event or circumstance that is hard to bear.
—Antonyms 1. relief, comfort, solace.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME affliccioun < L afflīctiōn- (s. of afflīctiō).]

mail2
n. Flexible armor composed of small overlapping metal rings, loops of chain, or scales. 2. The protective covering of certain animals, as the shell of a turtle.
[Middle English, from Old French maile, from Latin macula, blemish, mesh.]

mead
n. An alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and water.

sen•ti•nel (sěn'tə-nəl)
n. One that keeps guard; a sentry (a guard, a watch, a lookout).
[Middle French, from Old Italian, from Latin]

sin•ew (sĭn'yōō)
n.
A tendon.
Vigorous strength; muscular power.
The source or mainstay of vitality and strength.
[Middle English, from Old English]

sol•ace (sŏl'ĭs)
n. Comfort (or a source of comfort) in sorrow, misfortune, or distress; consolation; alleviation; relief.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin]

weird (wîrd)
adj.
Of, relating to, or suggestive of the preternatural or supernatural.
Of a strikingly odd or unusual character; strange.
Archaic Of or relating to fate or the Fates.

n.
Fate; destiny.
[Middle English from Old English wyrd, fate]

Five words that will help us understand Anglo-Saxon poetry.

al•lit•er•a•tion
n. The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables, as in “on scrolls of silver snowy sentences” (Hart Crane). Modern alliteration is predominantly consonantal; certain literary traditions, such as Old English verse, also alliterate using vowel sounds.
[From ad- + Latin littera, letter.]

cae•su•ra also ce•su•ra
n. Prosody. a break, esp. a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse, and marked in scansion by a double vertical line
A pause or interruption, as in conversation
[Latin caes ra, a cutting, from caesus, past participle of caedere, to cut off. See ka -id- in Indo-European Roots.]

ep•ic
n. An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero (or any literary work, period of history, etc. resembling an epic)

adj. Related to a literary epic; Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size; Heroic and impressive

ken•ning
n. A figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry; for example, storm of swords is a kenning for battle and wave traveler is a kenning for boat.
[Old Norse, from kenna, to know, to name with a kenning. See gn - in Indo-European Roots.]

scop
n. An Old English poet or bard.
[Old English.]