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古英語（古英語：Ænglisc，英語：Old English）或盎格魯-撒克遜語（英語：Anglo-Saxon）是指從449年到1066年間源於西北歐的日耳曼部落（盎格魯-撒克遜人）入侵大不列顛島並在現今英格蘭和蘇格蘭低地東南部定居後所說的中世紀早期英語，屬於西日耳曼語中的一種北海日耳曼語方言，和古弗里西語同屬盎格魯-弗里斯蘭語組，並與古撒克遜語有密切關係，在諾曼人征服後受諾曼語（屬羅曼語族）影響演化為中古英語。
古英語雖然曾因盎格魯-撒克遜英格蘭的基督教化而受到少許拉丁語的影響，但和近代英語與現代英語無論在讀音、拼寫、詞彙和文法上都很不一樣，基本上無法互通；而因為丹麥法區歷史，古英語受維京人的古諾斯語（北日耳曼語）影響更大，文法反而和德語及冰島語比較相近，形態變化很複雜。
| 字母 | IPA 轉述 |
|---|---|
| a | /ɑ/, /ɑː/ |
| ā | /ɑː/ |
| æ | /æ/, /æː/ |
| ǣ | /æː/ |
| b | /b/ |
| [v] ( /f/ 的一個異音) | |
| c | /k/ |
| /tʃ/ | |
| cg | /ddʒ/ (其發音為 /jj/ 的初期形式) |
| /ɡɡ/ (偶爾) | |
| d | /d/ |
| ð | /θ/, 包括其異音 [ð] |
| e | /e/, /eː/ |
| ę | |
| ē | /eː/ |
| ea | /æɑ/, /æːɑ/ |
| ēa | /æːɑ/ |
| eo | /eo/, /eːo/ |
| ēo | /eːo/ |
| f | /f/，包括其異音 /v/ (同見 b). |
| g | /ɡ/，包括其異音 /ɣ/；或 /j/，包括其異音/dʒ/，後來變為 ⟨n⟩ |
| h | /h/，包括其異音/ç/, /x/ |
| i | /i/, /iː/ |
| ī | /iː/ |
| ie | /iy/, /iːy/ |
| /e/, /eː/ | |
| īe | /iːy/ |
| io | /iu/, /iːu/ |
| k | /k/ |
| l | /l/ |
| m | /m/ |
| n | /n/，包括其異音 /ŋ/ (以前為 /k/, /g/). |
| o | /o/, /oː/ |
| ō | /oː/ |
| oe | /ø/, /øː/ （部分地區方言含有其音）. |
| ōe | /øː/ |
| p | /p/ |
| qu | /kw/ |
| r | /r/ |
| s | /s/包括其異音 /z/. |
| sc | /ʃ/，偶爾也/sk/. |
| t | /t/ |
| th | /θ/ ，最早寫為þ (同見 þ). |
| þ | /θ/，包括其異音/ð/ |
| u | /u/，/uː/ 有時也用 /w/表示 (可見於下方的ƿ). |
| uu | 有時使用 /w/ (可見於下方的ƿ). |
| ū | 現代版本， 用 /uː/ 以區別於 /u/ |
| w | /w/ |
| ƿ | /w/ |
| x | /ks/ （或[xs ~ çs] 存在不確定） |
| y | /y/ 或 /yː/ |
| ȳ | /yː/ |
| z | /ts/ |
該個語言字母共有49個。
另外，雙輔音在此階段屬於萌發期，雙輔音 ⟨ðð⟩或⟨þþ⟩、 ⟨ff⟩ 以及 ⟨ss⟩ 在古英語中不能被發音。[2]
古英語可以分為：
史前古英語（450年－650年），在這段時期，因為缺乏相關文獻，古英語只能構擬出來，是當時盎格魯人、撒克遜人和朱特人在英格蘭地區的語言。
早期古英語（650年－900年），在這段時期，開始出現最古老的英語文獻。
古英語的音位表重構如下：
括號中的是同位異音:
古英語的名詞有數和格的分別。數分為單數、複數；格分為主格、所有格、第三格、受格。因此一個名詞的變化數目，將數與格的變化相乘之後，共有8種變化形式。此外，名詞還分三個性別：陽性、中性和陰性。這些性的區分並不是以自然性別來判斷的。例如婦女（wifmann）就是陽性的。
形容詞的形態變化分為強、弱兩種，它的數和格也共有8種變化。
古英語重要的文學作品包括《貝奧武夫》（Beowulf）、《盎格魯撒克遜編年史》（Anglo-Saxon Chronicle）等。
下文節選自《貝奧武夫》，約於公元900年
| 行 | 原始 | 直譯 |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum, | What! We [of] Gar-Danes (lit. spear-danes) in yore-days, |
| [2] | þeod-cyninga, þrym gefrunon, | [of] people-kings, trim (glory) afrained (have learned of by asking), |
| [3] | hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. | how those athelings (princes) arm-strong feats framed (made/performed). |
| [4] | Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, | Oft Scyld Scefing, [from] scathers (enemies) [in] threats (armed bands), |
| [5] | monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, | [from] many magths (clans, groups of sons, cf. Irish cognate Mac-), mead-settles took, |
| [6] | egsode eorl. Syððan ærest wearð | awed earls (leaders of men). Sith (since) erst (first) [he] worth (came to be) |
| [7] | feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, | fewshiped (helpless, in "fewship") founden, he [in a state of] loving care abode (lived), |
| [8] | weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, | wex (waxed) under welkin (the clouds), [in] mind's-worth (honour) thrived, |
| [9] | oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra | oth that (until that) [to] him each [of] those [who were] by-sitting ("sitting" or dwelling roundabout) |
| [10] | ofer hronrade hyran scolde, | over whale-road (kenning for sea) hear (obedience) should (owed), |
| [11] | gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning! | gifts [to] yield. That was [a] good king! |
現代英語意譯:
- “Listen! We have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, of the kings of the people, in days of yore, [and] how those princes did deeds of glory. Often Scyld Scefing deprived armed bands of foes, many clans of mead-benches, [and] terrified warriors. Since he first was found helpless (he experienced comfort for that), he grew under the heavens, thrived with honours, until each of the nearby peoples over the sea were obliged to pay him tribute. That was a good king!”
下文節選自《主禱文》（The Lord's Prayer）
| 行 | 原始 | 直譯 |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Fæder ūre þū þe eart on heofonum, | Father of ours, thou who art in heavens, |
| [2] | Sī þīn nama ġehālgod. | Be thy name hallowed. |
| [3] | Tōbecume þīn rīċe, | Come thy riche (kingdom), |
| [4] | ġewurþe þīn willa, on eorðan swā swā on heofonum. | Worth (manifest) thy will, on earth as also in heaven. |
| [5] | Ūre ġedæġhwāmlīcan hlāf syle ūs tō dæġ, | Our daily loaf do sell (give) to us today, |
| [6] | and forġyf ūs ūre gyltas, swā swā wē forġyfað ūrum gyltendum. | And forgive us our guilts as also we forgive our guilters [4] |
| [7] | And ne ġelǣd þū ūs on costnunge, ac ālȳs ūs of yfele. | And do not lead thou us into temptation, but alese (release/deliver) us of (from) evil. |
| [8] | Sōþlīċe. | Soothly. |
下文節選自《Charter of Cnut》
| 原始 | 直譯 |
|---|---|
| ¶ Cnut cyning gret his arcebiscopas and his leod-biscopas and Þurcyl eorl and ealle his eorlas and ealne his þeodscype, twelfhynde and twyhynde, gehadode and læwede, on Englalande freondlice. | ¶ Cnut, king, greets his archbishops and his lede'(people's)'-bishops and Thorkell, earl, and all his earls and all his peopleship, greater (having a 1200 shilling weregild) and lesser (200 shilling weregild), hooded(ordained to priesthood) and lewd(lay), in England friendly. |
| And ic cyðe eow, þæt ic wylle beon hold hlaford and unswicende to godes gerihtum and to rihtre woroldlage. | And I kithe(make known/couth to) you, that I will be [a] hold(civilised) lord and unswiking(uncheating) to God's rights(laws) and to [the] rights(laws) worldly. |
| ¶ Ic nam me to gemynde þa gewritu and þa word, þe se arcebiscop Lyfing me fram þam papan brohte of Rome, þæt ic scolde æghwær godes lof upp aræran and unriht alecgan and full frið wyrcean be ðære mihte, þe me god syllan wolde. | ¶ I nam(took) me to mind the writs and the word that the Archbishop Lyfing me from the Pope brought of Rome, that I should ayewhere(everywhere) God's love(praise) uprear(promote), and unright(outlaw) lies, and full frith(peace) work(bring about) by the might that me God would(wished) [to] sell'(give). |
| ¶ Nu ne wandode ic na minum sceattum, þa hwile þe eow unfrið on handa stod: nu ic mid godes fultume þæt totwæmde mid minum scattum. | ¶ Now, ne went(withdrew/changed) I not my shot(financial contribution, cf. Norse cognate in scot-free) the while that you stood(endured) unfrith(turmoil) on-hand: now I, mid(with) God's support, that [unfrith] totwemed(separated/dispelled) mid(with) my shot(financial contribution). |
| Þa cydde man me, þæt us mara hearm to fundode, þonne us wel licode: and þa for ic me sylf mid þam mannum þe me mid foron into Denmearcon, þe eow mæst hearm of com: and þæt hæbbe mid godes fultume forene forfangen, þæt eow næfre heonon forð þanon nan unfrið to ne cymð, þa hwile þe ge me rihtlice healdað and min lif byð. | Tho(then) [a] man kithed(made known/couth to) me that us more harm had found(come upon) than us well liked(equalled): and tho(then) fore(travelled) I, meself, mid(with) those men that mid(with) me fore(travelled), into Denmark that [to] you most harm came of(from): and that[harm] have [I], mid(with) God's support, afore(previously) forefangen(forestalled) that to you never henceforth thence none unfrith(breach of peace) ne come the while that ye me rightly hold(behold as king) and my life beeth. |
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