Oudengels

Oudengels, the Dutch name for Old English, is the historical form of the English language spoken in England and parts of Scotland from roughly the mid-5th century to the Norman Conquest in 1066, with use continuing into the 11th century. It belongs to the West Germanic branch of the Germanic language family and developed from Proto-Germanic, with notable influence from Norse due to Viking contact.

Old English was used across various kingdoms in a diverse linguistic landscape. It featured a rich inflectional system with grammatical cases for nouns and adjectives, gender, and strong and weak verb conjugations. The language exhibited relatively flexible word order and a vocabulary that fused Germanic roots with loanwords from Latin and Norse. Over time, regional dialects emerged, of which West Saxon became the dominant literary standard, while Mercian, Northumbrian, and Kentish varieties persisted in speech.

Writing in Old English began with the runic futhorc in earlier centuries and later shifted to a Latin-based alphabet. Scribes produced a broad range of texts, including poetry, religious works, legal codes, and chronicles. Key examples include Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and religious poems such as The Dream of the Rood. Although much of Old English literature survives in West Saxon manuscripts, other dialects contributed to regional texts as well.

Old English laid the groundwork for Middle English and, ultimately, Modern English, influencing vocabulary, syntax, and orthography. Today, it is studied as a primary source for understanding early English history, culture, and linguistic development.