The Case against English Elements in Hebban olla uogala

Abstract Recent work on Hebban olla uogala has alleged substantial English elements in the text, even going so far as to suggest the full sequence may have been intended as Kentish. However, evidence from attested usage makes clear that the form “hinase” cannot be English, while English analyses of “[:]agunnan” and “nestas” become unlikely once the manuscripts are consulted. Furthermore, the scribe’s social context speaks against his having adopted English forms.