The Lord's Prayer in modern English, Old English, Gothic, and Modern Indo-European

Monday, June 02, 2008

Just for fun, as it stands to reason that Old English should be closer to a language reconstructed from one that English originally came from so long ago. The reconstructed MIE texts come from here, and the Old English one from here.

Edit: I've added Gothic for comparison (it's 3rd on the list since it's older). The source is here, from a page on Wulfila, the Gothic Bible translator from the 4th century.

I'm going to put the most interesting parts in bold.

  • Our Father, who art in heaven,
  • Fæder ūre, þū þe eart on heofonum;
  • atta unsar þu ïn himina
  • Patér Ṇseré, jos kémeloisi essi,

  • Hallowed be thy Name.
  • Sīe þīn nama gehālgod,
  • weihnai namo þein
  • Nōm Twom sqénetoru.

  • Thy kingdom come.
  • tō becume þīn rīce,
  • qimai þiudinassus þeins
  • Regnom Twom cémietōd.

  • Thy will be done,
  • gewurþe þīn willa,
  • wairþai wilja þeins
  • Woliā Twā dhidhḗtoru,

  • On earth as it is in heaven.
  • on eorðan swā swā on heofonum.
  • swe ïn himina jah ana airþai
  • ita kémelei jota pḷtéuijāi.

  • Give us this day our daily bread.
  • Ūrne gedæghwamlican hlāf sele ūs tōdæg,
  • hlaif unsarana þana sinteinan gif uns himma daga
  • Qāqodjūtenom bharsiom ṇseróm edjḗw dasdhi-nos

  • And forgive us our trespasses,
  • and forgif ūs ūre gyltas,
  • jah aflet uns þatei skulans sijai ma
  • joqe dháleglāms ṇserams parke,

  • As we forgive those who trespass against us.
  • swā swā wē forgifaþ ūrum gyltendum,
  • swaswe jah weis afletam þaim skulam unsaraim
  • swāi skéletbhos parkomos.

  • And lead us not into temptation,
  • and ne gelǣd þū ūs on costnunge,
  • jah ni briggais uns ïn fraistubnjai
  • Enim mē noms péritloi enke prōd,

  • But deliver us from evil. Amen.
  • ac ālīes ūs of yfele, sōþlīce.
  • ak lausei uns af þamma ubilin. Amen.
  • mō úpelēd nosēie-nos. Estōd.

I can't seem to find that much material in Old English though. Still looking for the other parts they've translated into MIE for comparison: The Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the Gospel of John. Older is better.

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