Hwæt eart þū?
The English phrase "who are you?" is translated into Old English as Hwæt eart þū?
This phrase is a question used to ask for a person's identity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the singular second-person pronoun þū, which is the equivalent of the modern English "thou".
Did you know?
- The word hwæt was often used as a loud exclamation to get attention, similar to saying 'Listen!' or 'Hark!' It famously opens the epic poem Beowulf.
- In Beowulf the coast guard asks the newly landed warriors Hwæt syndon ġē, 'what are you', using hwæt to ask who strangers are.
- The word eart is the ancestor of the modern English 'art', as used in the phrase 'Thou art'. This shows how the verb 'to be' has changed its conjugation over a millennium.
Example conversation
A traveler approaches a woman's house at night.
- ÆthelflædHwæt eart þū?Who are you?
- EadricIc eom Eadric, þǣre cwēne þeġn.I am Eadric, a servant of the queen.
- ÆthelflædHwæt wilt þū her?What do you want here?
- EadricIc sēċe ræst.I seek rest.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hwæt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
