Pronoun, Preposition and Conjunction Exercise
The next puzzle is one of the more gentle and eloquent riddles of the Exeter book. Because we have already completed a number of passages together, you will now have the opportunity to uncover some of the grammar on your own. Identify the pronouns in the passage (include their case and number), and also mark out any conjunctions and prepositions. If you cannot remember exactly how to recognize these elements, use the links below to refer to past exercises where the process is described in detail. When you are finished compare your answers with the solutions provided.
| Back to Pronoun Exercise #1 | Back to Preposition & Conjunction Exercise #1 |
| Back to Pronoun Exercise #2 | Back to Preposition & Conjunction Exercise #2 |
| Riddle 67 | |
| Ic eom māre žonne žes middangeard, | |
| lęsse žonne hond wyrm, lēotre žonne mōna, | |
| swiftre žonne sunne. Sęs mē sind[on] ealle | |
| flōdas on fęđmum ond žēs foldan bearm, | |
| (5) | grēne wongas ; grundum ic hrīne, |
| helle underhnīge, heofonas oferstīge, [35] | |
| wuldres ēžel ; wīde ręce | |
| ofer engla eard ; eoržan gefylle, | |
| ealne middangeard ond merestrēamas | |
| (10) | sīde mid mē sylfum. Saga hwęt ic hātte. |
Answer Key:
| Line 1 |
| Ic: nominative singular form of the first person pronoun |
| žonne: conjunction [36] |
| žes: nominative singular form of the pronoun žes (this) |
| Line 2 |
| žonne |
| Line 3 |
| žonne |
| mē: accusative singular form of the first person pronoun |
| Line 4 |
| žēs |
| on: preposition |
| ond: conjunction |
| Line 5 |
| ic |
| Line 8 |
| ofer: preposition |
| Line 9 |
| ond |
| Line 10 |
| mid: preposition |
| mē |
| hwęt: nominative neuter form of the pronoun hwā (who/what) |
| ic |
[35] See footnote 37 for more information on the Old English words underhnīge and oferstīge.
[36] As a conjunction the word žonne can be translated than. It can also be used as an adverb meaning then.