# How far back could you go and....



## Nautilus (Nov 17, 2019)

Very Interesting:


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## Catlady (Nov 17, 2019)

Looks like 1350 or so was the last time it was anywhere close to ''our English''.


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## Fyrefox (Dec 6, 2019)

As an English major, I was expected to read and understand Chaucer in the original, which I could do when tuned in to that wavelength.  Many today have difficulty understanding Shakespeare, and even Victorian or early 20th century literature can be challenging for some.  Language is a glorious and evolving thing, and no doubt the English spoken in the future will likewise reflect changes both subtle and major.


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## Repondering (Dec 23, 2019)

I was a double major, English/Psychology, and I too was obliged to read and understand Chaucerian English as well as Shakespeare.  As for Chaucer, "tuning in to that wavelength" is an apt way to put it and that's how I thrived through English 136, the complete works of Chaucer.....I'm afraid that I'd have to re-familiarize myself with it if I ever tried to read his works again.
Shakespearean English is another story, I can still read or hear it and it's as understandable as modern English.
I'm guessing that the English of the future will be evolving and changing faster than it did in the past....everything else in the world is changing pretty fast it seems.  I'm 66 years old and the 20-something frame of reference might as well be from a different nationality.


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