Ic wille
In Old English, 'I will' is expressed as Ic wille.
This phrase is used to express a desire or an intention to perform an action in the future.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the West Saxon dialect of Old English, the phrase may be expressed as ic wylle. In Northumbrian Old English, the form Ic sal is used to mean 'I will'.
Did you know?
- Because wille meant 'want', Old English speakers did not have a dedicated single word for the future tense. They used verbs of desire or obligation to imply that something would happen later.
- The word ic is a direct linguistic relative of the Latin 'ego', tracing back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root used to identify the self.
- While we now use 'will' as a grammatical tool for the future, wille was originally a full verb meaning 'to wish'. Using Ic wille was more like stating a heartfelt desire than making a calendar appointment.
Examples in context
- Ic wille þé gesécan morgen.I will visit you tomorrow.
- Ic wille þæt þu geseo.I will that you see.
- Ic wille gangan hider.I will go here.
- Ic wille þas bēc rædan.I will read these books.
Example conversation
Two siblings are discussing their plans for the day.
- ÆthelflædHwæt dēst þū tō dæġ, Æthelstan?What are you doing today, Æthelstan?
- ÆthelstanIċ wille bēc rǣdan.I will read books.
- ÆthelflædOnd iċ wille tō wuda gān.And I will go to the forest.
- ÆthelstanGōd, gā þū þider.Good, go there.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ic, CC BY-SA 4.0.
