Saxon Origins Of The Word
The word "Anglo-Saxon" is a term that was prominently used during
the reign of Alfred the Great. The word can be found in a number of latin documents.
The latin form of this name would be Anglorum Saxonum. The term "Anglo"
is said to refer to the people who lived in the northern region of Great Britain,
as well as Northumbria, and Mercia. The word "Saxon" is used to refer
to people who lived in Sussex, Wessex, or Old Saxony. In addition to these two
area, the term was also used to describe people who lived in Kent or the southern
part of Hampshire. The writer Bede talked about the word in his document called
Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum.
While Bede was very distinct when he talked about the origins of the word,
other writers were not. Writers who were from West Saxon would refer to their
own nation as making up a portion of Angelcyn. These same writers also referred
to their language as being Englisc. Another writer that mentioned the word "Anglo-Saxon"
was Paul the Deacon, who was an important historian among the Lombards. Some
feel that he may have tried to make a distinction between continental Saxons
and the English Saxons. The actual word "Anglo-Saxon" was in prominent
use by the 18th century. It was featured in Old English.
Those who used this word in the 19th century were typically those who were
dealing with philology. A number of historians felt that contemporary political
ideas could be traced to the Anglo-Saxons, predating the arrival of the Normans.
Historians today have not agreed on whether or not the term Anglo-Saxon should
be use to describe an ethnic group. Because of the presence of Celts, Danes,
and Normans in Great Britain, some say that the term should not be used, while
others feel that this term should be used to describe a group of people who
were distinct. However, it should be noted that the vast majority of these groups
mixed together.
The word Anglo-Saxon is used differently by politicians compared to those who
work in academic circles. While those working in academic institutions will
almost always use the term "Anglo-Saxon" in a historical sense, politicians
may use it to refer to those who originate in either England or Europe, or those
who have a certain status economically. Therefore, it could be said that the
word has evolved over the last few hundred years.
Original Authors:
Stephen Palmer
Edit Update Authors: None
Updated On: 03/10/2006
