what was so important about Old English and Middle English that we felt the need to label them and what are the main differences?
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The two sides of the coin:
These completely different languages are called [adjective] English because they were stages in the history of modern English.
These stages in the history of modern English are completely different languages because understanding one of them does not allow you to understand the other.
I once heard English described as what happens when Norman knights try to hit on Welsh barmaids.
I once heard English described as what happens when Norman knights try to hit on Welsh barmaids.
I once heard English described as what happens when Norman knights try to hit on Welsh barmaids.
From Beowulf:
Old English:
– “HWÆT: WE GAR-DENA IN GEARDAGUM.
– þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon.
– Hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!”
Modern English:
– “So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
– And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.
– We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.”
From the Prologue of Chaucer’s Canturberry Tales:
Middle English:
– “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
– The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
– And bathed every veyne in swich licour”
Modern English:
– “When April with its sweet-smelling showers
– Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
– And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid”
You likely wouldn’t be able to understand either language spoken. Maybe you could read some Middle English – but you’d understand it like maybe someone who speaks Italian can understand some Spanish. The languages are related, but dissimilar enough that communication is hard without some study.
They are completey different languages.
It really is kinda that simple, as far as your question goes. Middle english is like a sort of related language, like cantonese vs mandarin, where rher is _some_ shared vocab and syntax, but onthe whole you can’t really interhcange them.
Old English is as foreign to modern english as modern english is to Norwegian, for non linguitic purposes.
From Beowulf:
Old English:
– “HWÆT: WE GAR-DENA IN GEARDAGUM.
– þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon.
– Hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!”
Modern English:
– “So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
– And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.
– We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.”
From the Prologue of Chaucer’s Canturberry Tales:
Middle English:
– “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
– The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
– And bathed every veyne in swich licour”
Modern English:
– “When April with its sweet-smelling showers
– Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
– And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid”
From Beowulf:
Old English:
– “HWÆT: WE GAR-DENA IN GEARDAGUM.
– þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon.
– Hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!”
Modern English:
– “So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
– And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.
– We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.”
From the Prologue of Chaucer’s Canturberry Tales:
Middle English:
– “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
– The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
– And bathed every veyne in swich licour”
Modern English:
– “When April with its sweet-smelling showers
– Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
– And bathed every vein (of the plants) in such liquid”
You likely wouldn’t be able to understand either language spoken. Maybe you could read some Middle English – but you’d understand it like maybe someone who speaks Italian can understand some Spanish. The languages are related, but dissimilar enough that communication is hard without some study.
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