hū tō secganne
The phrase "how to say" is translated into Old English as hū tō secganne.
A phrase used to ask for the correct way to express a word or idea in another language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of hū meaning "how".
Did you know?
- While secganne is the root of 'saying', Old English had a distinct word cwedan for formal speech or poetry, which survived as the root of the modern English word 'quoth'.
- In the era of hū tō secganne, English speakers used a different alphabet containing letters like þ (thorn) and ð (eth) to represent sounds that modern English now writes with 'th'.
- If you were to say this to a person in the 10th century, you would likely be speaking to a monk or a scholar, as much of the surviving Old English way of expressing complex ideas is preserved in ecclesiastical texts.
Examples in context
- hwæt is þīn nama?What is your name?
- ic wæs bliþe þæt ic þē geseah.I was glad to see you.
- Ne cweþe þū swā!Don't say so!
- Ðæt is gōd ræd!That is good advice!
- Ic ne can hū tō secganne þæt.I do not know how to say that.
- Lær mē hū tō secganne þone naman.Teach me how to say the name.
Example conversation
Two students are studying a manuscript together.
- MildrythOsric, hū tō secganne þis word?Osric, how to say this word?
- OsricÞū mōt secganne 'beorht'.You must say 'bright'.
- MildrythIs it hū tō secganne 'beorht' hēr?Is it how to say 'bright' here?
- OsricGēa, Mildryth, þæt is riht.Yes, Mildryth, that is correct.
