hwǣr eart þū?
The English phrase "where are you?" is translated into Old English as hwǣr eart þū?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their current physical location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative adverb hwǣr (where), the second-person singular form of the verb 'to be' eart (art/are) and the singular pronoun þū (thou).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the singular pronoun þū and the corresponding singular verb form eart, which is appropriate for addressing one person informally or closely.
Did you know?
- The word hwǣr is a cognate of the German word wo and the Latin ubi. While the sounds changed, they all stem from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root for location.
- The letter þ in þū is called 'thorn'. It represents the 'th' sound and is a character that exists in Old English but was eventually replaced by the two-letter combination 'th'.
- The letter ǣ in hwǣr is called 'ash'. It represents a long vowel sound that falls halfway between the 'a' in 'cat' and the 'e' in 'bed'.
