Anglo-Saxon

[ang-gloh-sak-suhn]

noun

1. an English person of the period before the Norman Conquest.

2. Old English.

3. the original Germanic element in the English language.

4. plain and simple English, especially language that is blunt, monosyllabic, and often rude or vulgar.

5. a person whose native language is English.

6. a person of English descent.

7. (in the U.S.) a person of colonial descent or British origin.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Anglo-Saxons.

2. of or relating to Anglo-Saxon.

3. English-speaking; British or American.

4. (of words, speech, or writing) blunt, monosyllabic, and often vulgar.

Anglo-Saxon

noun

1. a member of any of the West Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) that settled in Britain from the 5th century _ad and were dominant until the Norman conquest

2. the language of these tribes See Old English

3. any White person whose native language is English and whose cultural affiliations are those common to Britain and the US

4. informal,  plain blunt English, esp English containing taboo words

adjective

1. forming part of the Germanic element in Modern English

   ``forget'' is an Anglo-Saxon word

2. of or relating to the Anglo-Saxons or the Old English language

3. of or relating to the White Protestant culture of Britain, Australia, and the US

4. informal,  (of English speech or writing) plain and blunt

5. of or relating to Britain and the US, esp their common legal, political, and commercial cultures, as compared to continental Europe

Word History and Origins

Origin of Anglo-Saxon¹

1605–15; based on New Latin, Medieval Latin Anglo-Saxōnēs, Anglī Saxōnēs (plural); from 10th cent., collective name for WGmc-speaking people of Britain (compare Old English Angulseaxan ); Angle, Saxon

Example Sentences

Priestley had strong connections to the University of Oxford where Tolkien stood as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College.

From BBC

In exchange, treasures including artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds at Sutton Hoo and the 12th Century Lewis chess pieces will travel to museums in Normandy.

From BBC

Experts believed the coins were Anglo-Saxon and to have been hidden by Vikings.

From BBC

Horses were often included on early Anglo-Saxon cremation pyres as a sign of status.

From BBC

The company’s name melds their two cultures — David is of Yoruba and Igbo descent, and Jessica is Anglo-Saxon.

From Los Angeles Times