West Saxon (Noun)
Meaning 1
A dialect of Middle English.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- West Saxon was the literary standard for Old English, but not as prominent in the spoken language during the Middle English period.
- In terms of spelling, vocabulary, and grammar, Modern English owes most to West Saxon.
- Middle English varied in vocabulary, inflectional forms, and syntax according to dialects like West Saxon and Mercian.
- Middle English written texts usually imitate West Saxon rather than Mercian dialect.
- Late West Saxon began to blend characteristics from both Kentish and Mercian, before transitioning to Middle English.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
An inhabitant of Wessex.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was written in the West Saxon dialect and reflects the culture of its people.
- A West Saxon warrior would typically wield a spear or sword into battle.
- The epic poem Beowulf features a heroic West Saxon warrior as its main character.
- The Kingdom of Wessex was home to the West Saxons, a powerful and influential Anglo-Saxon tribe.
- Alfred the Great, a renowned West Saxon king, united various Anglo-Saxon tribes to resist the Viking invasions.
Meaning 3
A literary dialect of Old English.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The West Saxon dialect of Old English is known for its use in literary works such as the epic poem Beowulf.
- Caedmon's Hymn, a famous example of Old English literature, is written in the West Saxon dialect.
- West Saxon emerged as the dominant literary dialect of Old English in the 9th and 10th centuries.
- Many scholars have studied the grammatical and phonological features of the West Saxon dialect in Old English.
- The use of the West Saxon dialect in Old English literature was influential in the development of Middle English.