Definition of Old English
1a
: the language of the English people from the time of the earliest documents in the seventh century to about 1100 — see Indo-European Languages Table
b
: English of any period before Modern English
2
: black letter
Learn More About Old English
Statistics for Old English
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Old English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Old%20English. Accessed 18 May. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Color
-
- Name that color:
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
-
You're (Probably) Saying It Wrong
18 words even you might be mispronouncing
-
Great Big List of Beautiful & Useless Words
Along with their degrees of usefulness
-
What's the Difference?
These words shouldn't be used interchangeably
-
Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names
When 'thingamajig' and 'thingamabob' just won't do
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Face Your Fears
Don't be scared to answer these questions about f...
Take the quiz
-
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP
You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
Take the quiz
-
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz
"Most Likely to Use Obscure Words"
Take the quiz
-
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
The faster you answer, the higher your score
Take the quiz
Share Old English
Time Traveler for Old English
The first known use of Old English was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century