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Which four main dialects existed in Old English?
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The four main dialects of the Old English language are as follows:
- Northumbrian: Spoken in northern England and southeastern Scotland.1
- Mercian: Spoken in central England.1
- Kentish: Spoken in southeastern England.12
- West Saxon: Spoken in southern and southwestern England.1
Mercian and Northumbrian are frequently grouped together as the Anglian dialects. While most surviving Old English literature is written in the West Saxon dialect, these four regional variations represent the primary linguistic divisions of the period.1