Description: This book provides an in-depth study into the issue of vernacular names in Old English documents. Specifically it challenges the generally accepted notion that the sex of an individual is definitively indicated by the grammatical gender of their name. While modern scholars have generally felt no difficulty is distinguishing male from female names, this book asks how far the Anglo-Saxons themselves recognised this distinction, and in so doing critically examines and tests the general principle that grammatical gender is a certain indicator of biological sex. Anyone with an interest in Old English manuscripts or early medieval history will find this book both thought provoking and a useful reference tool for better understanding the Anglo-Saxon world.
Review Quotes: 'Okasha's book provides a starting place for further research and is structured for ease of reference. ... research within the perimeter of her stated purpose has been thorough and methodical. She has laid out the results in concise prose and left open the gate for further study of women's names in Old English.' Speculum