Old English to English Translator
Paste Old English text below — a phrase, a paragraph, or a whole document — and get a clear English translation instantly. Free, no signup.
Old English is a low-resource language — fast translations may contain errors. for the most accurate results.
About Old English
Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was the earliest form of the English language, spoken in England and southern Scotland from approximately the 5th to the 12th century. It was brought to Britain by Germanic settlers, primarily Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Old English was originally written in runes before transitioning to the Latin alphabet with some additional characters such as thorn and eth.
Old English is largely unintelligible to modern English speakers, featuring a complex system of grammatical gender, noun declensions, and verb conjugations similar to modern German. The most famous work in Old English is the epic poem Beowulf, composed sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries. Old English gradually evolved into Middle English following the Norman Conquest of 1066, which introduced massive French and Latin vocabulary. Looking for medieval fantasy names? Try the Elf Name Generator for names inspired by Old English and Tolkien's languages.
Frequently asked questions about Old English
- How do I translate Old English to English?
- Paste your Old English text into the translator above and the English translation appears instantly. You can also upload documents or use speech input.
- Is the Old English to English translator free?
- Yes — translating Old English to English on Polytranslator is free and requires no signup. Longer texts and document translation are available on the Pro plan.
- What is Old English?
- Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was the earliest form of the English language, spoken in England and southern Scotland from approximately the 5th to the 12th century. It was brought to Britain by Germanic settlers, primarily Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Old English was originally written in runes before transitioning to the Latin alphabet with some additional characters such as thorn and eth.
- What languages can I translate Old English to?
- You can translate Old English to English, Middle English, and Frisian, and 230+ other languages using Polytranslator.
- Does Google Translate support Old English?
- No — Google Translate has no Old English (Anglo-Saxon) option; its "English" is strictly modern. This translator handles genuine Old English — the language of Beowulf, with þ, ð, and æ — in both directions, and explains its word choices on request.
- Is the Old English translator free?
- Yes — Polytranslator's Old English translator is completely free and instant, with no signup required. Sign in any time for an even higher daily limit.