Hwæt dēst þū?
Hwæt dēst þū? is the Old English way to say "what are you doing?"
This phrase is used to ask a person about their current activity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative pronoun hwæt (what), the second-person singular form of dōn (to do) and the pronoun þū (thou).
Did you know?
- The word hwæt was often used as a standalone exclamation to grab attention, similar to saying 'Listen!' or 'Hark!' This is famously how the epic poem Beowulf begins.
- The letter þ in þū is called 'thorn' and represents the 'th' sound. It was eventually replaced by 'th' as French scribes struggled to write the character.
- The word hwæt also had a separate meaning describing someone who was 'quick', 'sharp' or 'brave'.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hwæt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
