Same here, pretty much. I was able to get to 1200 without much difficulty but 1200 took a lot of effort to decipher.

That older spelling is the reason why "w" is called "double u".

Had the word been written "wif", I don't think that there would have been any need for you to search the word, as the relationship with "wife" would have been obvious.

Between then and now, in this word only the pronunciation of "i" has changed, from "i" like in the European languages to "ai".

Also I loved this little discovery, from 1300:

> "Þe euele man louȝ, whan that he sawe my peine, and it was a crueel louȝter, wiþouten merci or pitee as of a man þat haþ no rewþe in his herte."

"The evil man laughed, when he saw my pain, and it was a cruel laughter, without mercy or pity as of a man that has no rewthe in his heart."

In other words, a rewthe-less man.

We've retained the word "ruthless" but no longer use the word "ruth", "a feeling of pity, distress, or grief."