“You walk into the library.”
It is a functional sentence. It gets the job done. But does it evoke the smell of rotting parchment, the creak of ancient timber, or the sense that knowledge is something to be guarded like gold? Not really.
“You enter the Bōchord.”
Now you have the players’ attention. They might well be confused.
I recently went down a linguistic rabbit hole looking for the Old English word for “library” and discovered a treasure trove of vocabulary that fits perfectly into fantasy roleplaying games. Old English (Anglo-Saxon) has a guttural, earthy quality that sounds ancient and serious. It is the language of Beowulf, and it is perfect for Dwarven strongholds, Northern kingdoms, or ancient texts found in a dungeon.
The word that started this delve was Bōchord (pronounced boach-hord). It literally translates to “Book Hoard”. In the Anglo-Saxon mind, books were not just items; they were treasure, a hoard to be protected just like gold.
If you are tired of generic fantasy names, here is a primer on how to use Old English to level up your campaign descriptions.
The Environment
Stop using “dungeon” or “cave” for every location. Old English offers words that imply darkness, earth, and confinement.
| Word | Literal Meaning | Use it for… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cweartern | Kwar-tern | Guard-house / Prison | A high-security jail in a castle. |
| Eorþscræf | Earth-shraf | Earth-cave / Grave | A barrow, a necromancer’s tomb, or a monster’s lair. |
| Burg | Burg | Fortress / Walled Town | A fortified settlement (the root of Edinburgh). |
| Wēsten | Way-sten | Wasteland | The dangerous, lawless wilds between cities. |
War and Weapons
Unsurprisingly, Old English has a surplus of words for violence. These are perfect for describing magic items. “The Sword of +1” is boring. “The Bill of Wæl” is terrifying.
| Word | Pronunciation | Literal Meaning | Use it for… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill | Bill | Sword / Blade | An ancient, broad-bladed sword. |
| Rand | Rand | Shield (Boss/Rim) | A heavy wooden shield. |
| Gūþ | Gooth | War / Battle | A prefix for NPC names (e.g., Guthwine). |
| Here | Hair-uh | Army | Specifically an invading enemy force. |
| Wæl | Wal | Slaughter / The Slain | The aftermath of a battle (as in Valhalla/Wælheall). |
People and Classes
Give your NPCs titles that command respect. A “Bard” can be a bit flighty; a Scop is a keeper of history.
| Word | Pronunciation | Literal Meaning | Use it for… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scop | Shop | Bard | A poet who recites the fate of kings. |
| Læce | La-chuh | Cleric / Doctor | A healer (the root of ‘leech’). |
| Wicca | Witch-ah | Wizard | A magic user. |
| Thegn | Thane | Paladin / Fighter | A warrior sworn to a specific lord. |
| Wraecca | Wratch-ah | Rogue / Ranger | An exile or wanderer; a wretch. |
The Tavern Menu
Even the downtime in the tavern can sound more authentic.
| Word | Pronunciation | Literal Meaning | Use it for… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symbel | Sim-bel | Feast | A formal banquet with oaths and toasts. |
| Medu | Meh-doo | Mead | The honey-wine staple of the hall. |
| Hlāf | Hlahf | Bread | Rations (Lord comes from Hlāford or ‘Loaf-warden’). |
The Secret Sauce: Kennings
If you really want to impress your players, use kennings. These are compound words that act as poetic metaphors. They are like mini-riddles built into the language.
- Bānhūs (Bone-house): The human body.
- Hronrād (Whale-road): The sea.
- Beadoleoma (Battle-light): A flashing sword.
- Hildeserce (Battle-shirt): Chainmail armour.
- Lyftfloga (Air-flyer): A dragon.
Sources and Tools
Don’t just take our word for it. I’m no academic linguist (although I do have previous experience in this sort of research and once translated D&D 3e spell names into Latin), and if you want to dig up your own “word hoards” (or check my research) for your next session, these are the tools you need:
- Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary: The gold standard. If you need to check if a word is legitimate, go here. bosworthtoller.com
- A Thesaurus of Old English: Arranged by concept (e.g., “Fear”, “War”) rather than A-Z. Perfect for inspiration. oldenglishthesaurus.arts.gla.ac.uk
- Old English Translator: A quick and dirty tool for mid-game lookups. oldenglishtranslator.co.uk
- Etymonline: Great for seeing where modern words came from. etymonline.com
Creative Commons: Lady Aelfywynn of Seaxna Rice by Gambargin.
