Old English
The earliest form of English, spoken in England from approximately the 5th to 11th centuries, with extensive inflections and cases.
Real World
Beowulf, the epic poem taught in universities worldwide, is written in Old English — read a line aloud and it is almost unrecognisable to a modern speaker, demonstrating how dramatically English has changed.
Exam Focus
Use specific Old English features — inflections, case endings, Germanic vocabulary — as evidence; vague statements about 'old language' gain no marks.
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