How to Say “Library” in Old English

By •
bōchūs
neuter
The Old English word for library is bōchūs.
bōchūs refers to an institution that holds books.
Meaning: institution which holds books, etc. (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is a compound of bōc (book) and hūs (house), literally meaning "book-house".

How does it change in a sentence?

The word bōchūs is a neuter noun.

Did you know?

  • The word 'house' in bōchūs is the same root found in the modern English word 'husband', which originally meant 'house-dweller'.
  • The word bōc originally referred to the beech tree, as early Germanic runes were carved into beech wood tablets.
  • The gender of the word bōchūs is neuter, which is a grammatical feature that English has since lost, as we no longer assign gender to inanimate objects like houses.

Examples in context

  • Þæt bōchūs is micel.
    The library is large.

Example conversation

Wulfrun and Eadric are walking through a town.

  1. Wulfrun

    Eadric, ætīew mē þæt bōchūs.
    Eadric, show me the library.
  2. Eadric

    Hit is hēr nēah.
    It is near here.
  3. Wulfrun

    Is þæt bōchūs open nū?
    Is the library open now?
  4. Eadric

    Ġēa, hit is open.
    Yes, it is open.

Sources

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Leigh Randy
Leigh RandyHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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