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Aelfric
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Aelfric

Anglo-Saxon scholar
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Also known as: Aelfric the Grammarian, Grammaticus
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Article History
Quick Facts
Flourished:
c. 955–c. 1025, probably Eynsham, Oxfordshire, Eng.
Also Known As:
Grammaticus
Aelfric the Grammarian
Flourished:
c.955 - 1025
Subjects Of Study:
Latin language
grammar
See all related content

Aelfric (flourished c. 955–c. 1025, probably Eynsham, Oxfordshire, Eng.) was an Anglo-Saxon prose writer, considered the greatest of his time. He wrote both to instruct the monks and to spread the learning of the 10th-century monastic revival. His Catholic Homilies, written in 990–992, provided orthodox sermons, based on the Church Fathers. Known as Grammaticus due to his authorship of a Latin grammar, he also wrote Lives of the Saints, Heptateuch (a vernacular language version of the first seven books of the Bible), as well as letters and various treatises.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.