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AB language facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

AB language is a special way of writing and speaking Middle English. You can find it in old handwritten books called manuscripts. One important manuscript is called Corpus, which contains a text known as Ancrene Wisse. That's where the 'A' in AB language comes from. The 'B' comes from another manuscript, MS Bodley 34, found in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. This Bodley manuscript includes texts known as the Katherine Group. Other writings, like the Wooing Group, also use this same unique language.

What is AB Language?

The name "AB language" was created in 1929 by J. R. R. Tolkien, who was a famous author (he wrote The Lord of the Rings). Tolkien noticed that the way this language was used in both manuscripts was very consistent. It was like a "standard" or formal way of writing. This special language was based on how people spoke in the West Midlands area of England during the 1200s.

What Makes AB Language Special?

AB language has several interesting features. It includes many words borrowed from French and Norse languages. It also uses everyday sayings and has a rather old-fashioned way of spelling words. The way sentences are put together in AB language is similar to how sentences were structured in even older forms of English, called Old English.

What Texts Use AB Language?

Even though scholars don't fully agree on who wrote all of them, Ancrene Wisse, the KATHERINE GROUP, and the Wooing Group are often studied together. They are linked because they appear in many of the same old manuscripts. This means they were often copied and read together. These texts also share similar themes. They often talk about a suffering Jesus Christ who has a close, personal connection with the readers, who were mostly women. Many of these texts were written for or about anchoresses.

Who Were Anchoresses?

Anchoresses were women who chose to live a very spiritual life, completely separate from the outside world. They would have themselves enclosed in small rooms, or cells, that were attached to churches. Once inside, they would never leave. They could talk to servants and visitors through a window that faced the churchyard. Another window allowed them to watch church services and receive communion, which faced the main altar. Anchoresses spent their time praying and thinking deeply about God. Their main goal was to become completely united with God through prayer and devotion.

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AB language Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.