The Old English Wordhord unlocks one medieval word a day, pairing each term with its definition, pronunciation and, often, a manuscript illustration. Creator Dr. Hana Videen frames the project around the fabulous name: “word-hoard describes the collection of words and phrases that a poet may draw upon while crafting tales.”

Videen posted her first word, wordhord, on Nov. 13, 2013, and has posted often since; Old English was England’s vernacular from roughly 550 to 1150. The word wordhord survives only seven times in the literature, she writes, all in poetry, and usually appears beside the verb onleac, or “unlocked,” in works including Beowulf and Widsith.

Videen earned her Old English doctorate at King’s College London and has two books out: The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English (2021, 2022) and The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary (2023, 2024).