Should we all learn Chaucer's old English?

Question

Back in the 70s on a train in central Wales, everyone was speaking in English, then after I'd said something to my mate being English, the whole coach from then on spoke in Welsh. Welsh was dying out in the 70s but they've bought it back from the brink. Now the Scots are trying to resurrect Gaelic a language that hasn't been spoken for centuaries.

Should we all learn Chaucer's old English so they can't understand us?

Answer 1

This is a well known paranoia that English people have about Wales, that they speak in English then turn to Welsh if an English person is present.
1)Do you really think that we consider you that important?
2) Welsh is the first language of many of us and we only speak English if we have to.
3) There are many (so-called ) Welsh people who call themselves Welsh who can't even string a sentence together in their own language, these would be the ones to be speaking in English but they would be unable to revert to Welsh even if they wanted to.
In other words I do not believe your story, it just wouldn't happen, I've heard this before, how people in a pub suddenly revert to English...We would feel silly speaking to each other in English and certainly wouldn't do it.
Welsh was never 'on the brink' even though you wish it was, it is now stronger than it has been for many years in spite of the 'Welsh Not' (look it up).
As for Chaucer, take a look at the standard of English of some native English speakers on this site..do you really think they could cope with Shakespeare let alone Chaucer?

Answer 2

Scots and Welsh who tried to speak Gaelic or Welsh from Chaucer's era would have great difficulties. Living languages develop. True, Welsh almost died out, but Gaelic has always been spoken in the Highlands and the Western Isles.
On a personal note, might I suggest you concentrate on modern day English - or at least have a play with the spelling checker.
Languages are a form of communication, not a conspiracy. Have you been carrying this paranoia around since the 70s?

Answer 3

I think that this would make people sound more like Americans, going around saying things like "I guess" and "Have a good day". At the same time it would draw us closer to our neighbours the French, as a great deal of Chaucer's language was Norman French. Thou seist ful sooth,by my fey; but `sooth pley quaad pley,' as the Flemyng seith."
I think I could take to this!

Answer 4

Yeah, that'd be cool, but I think English-speaking Welsh people would learn it just as easily as Anglo-Saxons would.

Chaucer was Middle English, not Old English, just FYI.