The Wordhord

A wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure, a joyfully clever exploration of early medieval life. -- Edward Brooke-Hitching author * The Madman's Library *
Wonderful -- Tom Holland
A lovely, lovely read * Lucy Mangan *
Splendid -- David Crystal
Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *
Eminently giftable ... A book to be dipped in and out of for the riddles and enjoyable factoids -- James Marriott * The Times *
Splendid ... It is the perfect way to be introduced to Old English. There is insight on every page, in a beautifully clear and down to-earth style, with lovely humorous asides. -- David Crystal
A rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights to dip into during stolen moments. I loved this book-and learnt more from it than from any number of solemn language primers. Hana Videen has created a marvel. -- Nicola Griffith, author of 'Hild'
A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *
Brilliant. So rich with detail. If you're at all interested in Old English you'll love it. -- History Today * Kate Wiles, senior editor *
Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating. If you're interested in Old English (and for that matter, even if you're not!) it's an absolute treat. -- Paul Anthony Jones * Haggard Hawks *
A wonderful book that blends linguistics with a survey of everyday life in early Medieval England. If you want to know why music was known as dream-craeft, what was meant by sawel-dreor - 'soul blood' - or the origins of our days of the week, then this is for you. It constitutes a veritable leornung-hus, or 'learning house'' -- Tom Holland * BBC History Magazine *
Delightful ... [Videen's] etymological journeys [are] full of satisfying twists ... the book is released in time for Christmas wassailing, and would make a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk ... it's a pleasure just to be reminded of [early Medieval people's] world-craft. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *
A treasure trove of forgotten words, their meanings and origins, written with insight and humour, and beautifully designed -- Marshall Julius
Written in a conversational style that playfully uncovers the meaning of words and their cultural context, [Wordhord] will appeal to all lovers of language and ... serve as an excellent companion to students of Old English literature. Videen unlocks a treasure chest of ancient English ... the result is an accessible, erudite study -- Outstanding Academic Title of the Year * Choice *
This book is a treasure trove... [Videen] is a stunning and gifted word detective and writes of her investigations with nimble prose.... At the end [of The Wordhord] you feel the way that you feel when you come to the end of a Sherlock Holmes tale. * Leaf by Leaf *
Provides a fascinating introduction to early medieval England via evocative words. . . . A carefully constructed project that aims to foster a love of words and their history in its readers. . . . Helped along by Videen's infectious enthusiasm for the difficult, beautiful language that is Old English, I am certain readers will find many of their own favorite words to treasure. -- Megan Cavell * Modern Philology *