Ic eom her
The phrase 'I am here' in Old English is Ic eom her.
This phrase is used to announce your presence or your current location.
What does it mean word for word?
Ic means 'I', which is the first-person singular nominative pronoun. eom is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb 'to be', meaning 'am'. Finally, her means 'here'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the West Saxon dialect, you may see the variation Her ic eom, which means 'Here I am'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb eom must agree with the subject Ic in both person and number.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Note that her means 'here' in Old English and should not be confused with the modern English feminine pronoun 'her'.
Did you know?
- The word eom is a descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root h₁ésmi, which is the ultimate ancestor of the verb 'to be' in many European and Asian languages.
Examples in context
- Hēr eom ic, hātte ÆlfricHere am I, called Ælfric
- Ic eom her.I am here.
- Hwær eart þu? Ic eom her.Where are you? I am here.
- Nǣre þū gearu? Ic eom her.Were you not ready? I am here.
Example conversation
Two siblings are looking for each other in a crowded hall.
- ÆthelstanÆthelflæd, hwær eart þu?Æthelflæd, where are you?
- ÆthelflædIc eom her, Æthelstan!I am here, Æthelstan!
- ÆthelstanIc þe nu geseo.I see you now.
- ÆthelflædCum hider tō mē.Come here to me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eom, her, ic, CC BY-SA 4.0.
