Virgin Virginity and Maiden in Old English

The present work contains etymological and semasiological researches into the terms for Latin virgo virginitas and puella which were employed by the glossators of the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Rushworth Gospels and by the translator of the OE Gospels. The OE words used to express those concepts in those glosses and translation are hehstald hehstaldhad hehstaltnisse faemne faemnhad and maeden. By a profound study of all the relevant instances registered in the MCOE and by comparing terminological features in the Anglo-Saxon Gospels with those in other texts the following conclusions are drawn. It seems that choice of words as the terms for those concepts is a matter of an individual or a school as well as that of dialect. Aldred the glossator of the Lindisfarne MS was responsible for the sense virgin of the word hehstald. He drew a sharp distinction between hestald (for virgo) and maeden (for puella). Farman one of the glossators of the Rushworth MS chose faemne for virgo. The translator of the OE Gospels used faemne as the term for virgo and maeden for puella. He is also unique in his terminological consistency.