Old English
noun
1
a
: 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
Examples of Old English in a Sentence
Old English is very different from modern English.
Recent Examples on the Web
Old English was a precursor to modern English and was spoken in England during the early Middle Ages.
—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 18 May 2026
Two earlier copies contain the poem in Old English, but as afterthoughts — translated from Latin and scrawled into the margin or appended but not within the text’s main body, according to the researchers.
—Andrea Rosa, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Two earlier copies contain the poem in Old English, but as afterthoughts — translated from Latin and scrawled into the margin or appended but not within the text's main body, according to the researchers.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Live piano soundtracks the chatter of couples who married here decades ago during the building's past life as the Old English Inn, back now to celebrate anniversaries in considerably more glamorous style.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Burgers, sandwiches, wings, chips and dips, and Detroit-style pizzas are on the menu along with Millie Lou’s Old English D’s pretzels with Union Assembly dips on Friday.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Before farms and estates claimed the land, this area was covered by forest, or weald in Old English.
—Amy Waldman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Of the final contenders—Zaida the Afghan hound, Cookie the Maltese, JJ the Lhasa apso, Graham the Old English sheepdog, Cota the Chesapeake Bay retriever, Penny the Doberman pinscher, and Wager the smooth fox terrier—four-year-old Penny was crowned the year’s top dog.
—Poupay Jutharat, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
The golden retriever and Labrador retrievers, popular pets who have never won Best in Show, were fan favorites, as were a Sussex spaniel named Goober and one of the Best in Show competitors, an Old English sheepdog named Graham.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
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Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 18 May 2026
Two earlier copies contain the poem in Old English, but as afterthoughts — translated from Latin and scrawled into the margin or appended but not within the text’s main body, according to the researchers.
—Andrea Rosa, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Two earlier copies contain the poem in Old English, but as afterthoughts — translated from Latin and scrawled into the margin or appended but not within the text's main body, according to the researchers.
—CBS News, 17 May 2026
Live piano soundtracks the chatter of couples who married here decades ago during the building's past life as the Old English Inn, back now to celebrate anniversaries in considerably more glamorous style.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Burgers, sandwiches, wings, chips and dips, and Detroit-style pizzas are on the menu along with Millie Lou’s Old English D’s pretzels with Union Assembly dips on Friday.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Before farms and estates claimed the land, this area was covered by forest, or weald in Old English.
—Amy Waldman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Of the final contenders—Zaida the Afghan hound, Cookie the Maltese, JJ the Lhasa apso, Graham the Old English sheepdog, Cota the Chesapeake Bay retriever, Penny the Doberman pinscher, and Wager the smooth fox terrier—four-year-old Penny was crowned the year’s top dog.
—Poupay Jutharat, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
The golden retriever and Labrador retrievers, popular pets who have never won Best in Show, were fan favorites, as were a Sussex spaniel named Goober and one of the Best in Show competitors, an Old English sheepdog named Graham.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Old English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Old%20English. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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