beō stille
To say "be quiet" in Old English, you use beō stille.
This phrase is used as a request or command for someone to stop making noise.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb beō (be) and the adjective stille (still/quiet).
Which one should you use?
The form beō stille is used when addressing a single person, while beon stille is the plural imperative form used to address multiple people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word stille is an adjective that can also function as a noun meaning 'silence' or 'stillness' depending on the context. The form beō stille is in the second-person singular imperative, used when addressing one person.
Did you know?
- Because Old English had a distinct plural imperative, using beō stille to a group of people would have sounded grammatically jarring to a native speaker.
- Because stille means both 'quiet' and 'motionless', using it to tell someone to be quiet is linguistically equivalent to telling them to 'be still'.
Examples in context
- Bēo stille, ċild.Be quiet, child.
- Ic bidde þē, beō stille.I pray thee, be quiet.
- Beō stille nū!Be quiet now!
Example conversation
Eadric and Eadgyth are in a quiet monastery library.
- EadricEadgyth, beō stille.Eadgyth, be quiet.
- EadgythForgief mē, Eadric.Forgive me, Eadric.
- EadricWē mōton hēr stille bēon.We must be still here.
- EadgythIc wille nū stille bēon.I will be quiet now.
