The Literary and Linguistic Context

Abstract

The English language in Anglo-Saxon times was made up of a number of dialects which were more distinct one from another than the dialects of present-day English. Dialects come about when speech communities with a common language become geographically or socially separated, so that each of the parts develops differently. It would be impossible to say exactly how many dialects there were. Even if we had adequate written evidence for all areas, which we have not, there would be no means of understanding the complexities of spoken Old English, such as comprehension between dialect groups, and so on. However, from surviving records, four main ones are usually distinguished: West Saxon, Kentish, Mercian and Northumbrian, corresponding approximately to the four major kingdoms.