Could anyone 1500 years ago understand this question?

Question

How old is the English language? How far back could one travel in time and still communicate with people anywhere speaking only modern English?

Answer 1

Modern English speakers can probably understand ancient English reasonably well. The reverse would not be true. There are simply too many words that have been ADDED and relatively few that have been SUBTRACTED or obsolesced over time. Of course, some meanings have also changed, some of these even quite recently. I had friends in school less than twenty years ago with "Gay" as part of their name. That word has, unfortunately, taken a dramatic turn for the worse, and perhaps many people will change their names now because of it.

Modern English includes only about 25% or less of original English. More than 75% of modern English is new. Most of these words have entered from other languages, but there are many which have been invented to fit our increased technology and development. Of the original vocabulary which English retains, some words like "knife" and "know" originally pronounced the "k" sound, perhaps like "kanife". Ancient English was also not called English, but Anglo, or Anglo-Saxon. I would guess that much beyond 700 years ago, the language would be more than 80% unrecognizable to the modern speaker of English, and to the ancient speaker, the modern English would be almost completely foreign. Gutenberg didn't invent the printing press much before the King James Bible came out in English. Once the printing press was invented, it greatly stabilized language and slowed down its evolution.

Answer 2

The English Language dates back to the Greek and Latin spoken languages. Our language is built from many other languages, therefore to put a start date on it would be nearly impossible. Most of our words evolved into what we speak today and they continue to evolve every time someone comes up with a new catch phrase or pronunciation of an old word. As there are different stages of the language old, middle etc. they all sort of run together.

There is actually an island on the east coast where the people have preserved the fisherman's language which is older than the King James Bible. and they still use this particular variety of English today. it is hard to understand if your not paying attention.

As for the second question, if you kept your vocabulary basic and cut out most of the slang, you may be able to communicate, without raising a lot of eyebrows, maybe, 250 years ago. Maybe a little before the civil war and forward. If you left the slang in your conversation vocabulary, people in the late 1800s would want to burn you at the stake for being possessed by the devil!

Answer 3

Even from four hundred years ago the "english" language is nearly ununderstandable to the average person today. My Vice Principal read some to us in our Literature class (it was an untranslated Gavin and the Green Knight I believe) and none of it made sense because it sounded like it was in another language.

Answer 4

They have books preserved for 200 years, I think the King James version bible is about 200 years old and they are almost impossible to read. Our language is changing so fast they said that a dictionary written 4 years ago is absolute today.

Answer 5

I think it is very simple to read old english. You do not have to go back that far to read it. Infact if you read it now and you speak english you could probably understand most of it. Most of the words would be confusing but you could get the topic of what they are saying.

Answer 6

I think it would be quite a bit less than 1500 years. Think of the King James Bible with all its thee's and thou's, hast's and shalt's. That's what English was like less than 400 years ago (in 1611)!

Answer 7

not very far, actually. english is a conglomeration from many languages. by the time you were two hundred years into the past many would think you spoke gibberish
1500 years ago not a scholar alive would have understood you, nor would they understand the concept of 'english'

Answer 8

anywhewre