hwæt

Hwæt is an Old English interjection and discourse particle used to attract attention and to introduce a narrative. It is best known as the opening word of the epic Beowulf, where the famous line Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagge ... signals the start of the tale and has become emblematic of Old English poetry. In translation it is commonly rendered as “Listen!” or “Lo!,” but its precise function is often described as a rhetorical opening rather than a word with a concrete semantic content.

Etymology and function: Hwæt derives from a Proto-Germanic root related to the modern English word what, and it has cognates in other Germanic languages. In Old English, however, it functions primarily as an attention-getting device or formula, rather than as a straightforward interrogative or exclamation with a fixed literal meaning. Its use is characteristic of epic and narrative openings, where it prepares the listener or reader for a long recounting.

Usage and distribution: While Beowulf is the most famous example, hwæt appears in other Old English texts as part of the opening formulae that frame speeches or narrations. It often marks a transition to storytelling, a shift in speaker, or the invocation of memory and past events, rather than conveying specific information in itself.

Significance: Hwæt is widely discussed in studies of Old English meter, rhetoric, and the formulaic style of epic poetry. It stands as a paradigmatic opening device, illustrating how language could perform as a performative cue to listen and engage with a narration.

See also: Beowulf, Old English language, epic poetry, discourse marker.