Old English

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Grammar

Full development of the weak declension of the adjective with particular categorical meaning

Development of a dental preterite and appearance of the strong/weak verb distinction

Alphabet

A peculiar alphabet

24 letters

Futhark

Dialect

Northumbrian dialect

Mercian dialect

Wessex dialect

Sussex dialect

Kentish dialect

Runic inscription :

"secret", "mystery"

Runes used as letters

Each symbol indicated a separate sound

Inner history

Development of language was very slowly

Spelling

Mainly phonetic

f, s, þ, ø could denote voiced consonants in intervocalic posions or voiceless

c denote sound [k] (palatal or velar)

y denote sound [ý] (similar to German ü)