Ælfric's Colloquy, Latin-OE

Aelfric is one of the most prominent figures in OE and the greatest prose writer of his time. His Colloquy of the Occupations is one of the most significant works in the history of the language. It's full of information about Anglo-Saxon occupations and livelihoods but the most interesting thing is the relation that exists in this work between Latin and OE and how we can compare both languages. It was written in the late 10th century, at the time of the Benedictine reform when latin was absolutely established. He wrote his Colloquy in Latin, but then it was supplied by an OE version -an interlinear gloss- so it's actually written in both languages. In the Fisherman's part we can observe, for example, this sentence:

Latin - Quia periculosa res est capere cetum

OE - Forþam plyhtlic þingc hit ys gefon hwæl

English - Because dangerous thing it is to catch a whale.

Periculosa: Periculosus adj. (fem. periculosa, neuter periculosum). It means "dangerous" or "full of peril", from periculum n. (pericula), Latin.

To listen to a snatch of the Colloquy and appreciate what English in Anglo-Saxon times may have sounded like, here is link to a passage describing the baker's job: http://wwwbbc.co.uk/radio4/routesofenglish/storysofar/ramfiles/aelfric.ram