WenHow far back could you understand your native language (in this case English)?
https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-back-in-time-understand-english
Mint Spies@Wen this is fascinating - I've shared it with my kids, who are both language nerds. Thank you!
@MintSpies I have to say that until I read it I had not given a great deal of though to the issue. Sure I am aware of linguistic evolution and the odd incidents of for example, people in parts of the Appalachians using language and words that owe more to 17C English than that which is spoken by most people but I really must read a little more.
@Wen I was chatting with a French colleague yesterday and she said that the French language spoken in Quebec uses vocabulary that was commonplace in France centuries ago but isn't used now - I suspect it's a similar thing. Language is fascinating!
@MintSpies Yes, I speak pretty good French and spending a month in Quebec was an eyeopener.
@MintSpies Actually it was amusing. I could pass for French in France provided I don’t speak too much at length (sometimes the structure of sentences give me away) and I have worked with French government agencies with no problems, but in Quebec many people assume I was French :-)
@Wen brilliant! My colleague did say that French language films in Quebec get Quebecoise (sp?) subtitles, which blew my tiny mind! The whole conversation started because we were talking about the GCSE French exam, which now includes a 'read-aloud' part to the speaking exam, which assesses pronunciation, and I asked about regional accents.
AlexanderVINot just Québec. All of francophone Canada has some of these features. One notable thing is the preponderance of nautical and fishing related terminology. Another is swearing.
When Tocqueville visited North America he found that the francophones all sounded like commoners from his family's lands in Normandy, and said that la Nouvelle France was actually in Europe, while la Vieille France was still there in North America.
@AlexanderVI @Wen also fascinating - I love embiggening my knowledge!
@MintSpies @AlexanderVI It is one of the many joys of a civilised life.
LordWoolamaloo@AlexanderVI @Wen @MintSpies French chums tell me they often have problems understanding some Quebeois, who are sure they are speaking perfect French, but the French are a little puzzled!
But these are the people who gave us poutine, so frankly I am happy to give them the benefit of the doubt (also I find it hard to believe Scottish folks didn't invent poutine first!)
HighlandLawyer@Wen @MintSpies
If you want some video on it, Simon Roper on YouTube does a lot about the evolution of English
If you want some video on it, Simon Roper on YouTube does a lot about the evolution of English
Calamity Joan 😷@Wen This is brilliant! I got lost at 1200. 🙂
BashStKid
Ahimsa@Wen This is very cool, thanks! ❤️
It reminds me of when we read the prologue to The Canterbury Tales in the original in high school (our English teacher was great). I still have the first few lines memorized.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43926/the-canterbury-tales-general-prologue
VoxClamans@ahimsa_pdx @Wen
there are more French words in Chaucer than in this very good fake blog. Mais oui ; et plus de mots de vieux français en anglais qu'en français moderne.
there are more French words in Chaucer than in this very good fake blog. Mais oui ; et plus de mots de vieux français en anglais qu'en français moderne.