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I have been wondering: How can we know how languages, even our own
languages, were spoken before the earliest surviving audio recordings?
Back then there weren't any meticulous (if any) pronounciation guides
for any language.
For instance, how can we know if English was spoken in the 1500's even
close to what it is today? After all 500 years is a pretty long time, and
language (and its pronounciation) evolves. Even though we know how English
was written back then (and way, way earlier), how do we know how it was
spoken? (Sure, it was probably similar to current English, but to what
degree?)
On top of that, we often have distortions of spoken languages of the
past in popular media. For instance, the pirates of the 1600's did most
certainly not speak like the stereotypical pirate talk ("Arrr! Avast, ye
scurvy dogs!") I think this is just an invention of relatively recent
works of fiction (I think it might have originated from "Treasure Island"
by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1883.)
--
- Warp
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On 4/28/2012 9:25 AM, Warp wrote:
> I have been wondering: How can we know how languages, even our own
> languages, were spoken before the earliest surviving audio recordings?
> Back then there weren't any meticulous (if any) pronounciation guides
> for any language.
>
> For instance, how can we know if English was spoken in the 1500's even
> close to what it is today?
You might be interested in this reading of Beowulf:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13cES7MMd8&t=25 You can read on
Wikipedia about what our state of knowledge about the pronunciation ff
old English is. You'll also be able to find plenty of readings of the
Canterbury Tales if you want to hear Middle English.
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Kevin Wampler <wam### [at] u washingtonedu> wrote:
> You might be interested in this reading of Beowulf:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13cES7MMd8&t=25
Sounds like a mixture between Old Norse and German.
--
- Warp
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On 29/04/2012 6:49 AM, Warp wrote:
> Kevin Wampler<wam### [at] uwashingtonedu> wrote:
>> You might be interested in this reading of Beowulf:
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13cES7MMd8&t=25
>
> Sounds like a mixture between Old Norse and German.
>
I would say that Beowulf is Old English so it is not surprising that it
sounds like a mix between Old Norse and German, it is.
Middle English (between the late 11th and the late 15th century) can be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU
--
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen <mcavoys_at@aoldotcom> wrote:
> Middle English (between the late 11th and the late 15th century) can be
> found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU
Sounds a bit Scottish.
--
- Warp
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Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> Sounds a bit Scottish.
I don't know if it's just because I'm tired, but I couldn't stop
laughing at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BncDeMO_en0
--
- Warp
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On 29/04/2012 10:24 AM, Warp wrote:
> Warp<war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
>> Sounds a bit Scottish.
>
> I don't know if it's just because I'm tired, but I couldn't stop
> laughing at this:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BncDeMO_en0
>
:-(
This video contains content from Channel 5, who has blocked it in your
country on copyright grounds.
--
Regards
Stephen
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On 29/04/2012 10:18 AM, Warp wrote:
> Stephen<mcavoys_at@aoldotcom> wrote:
>> Middle English (between the late 11th and the late 15th century) can be
>> found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU
>
> Sounds a bit Scottish.
>
It does to my ears too. Old Scots, at least the West Coast variety
sounds similar. But then it is descended from Middle English.
We studded Chaucer at school and I was never able to make heads or tails
of it. A few years ago a friend recited a passage using a broad Scots
accent. It suddenly became clear almost like listening to a Burn poem.
But still none of this answers your question?
How can we know how languages, even our own
languages, were spoken before the earliest surviving audio recordings?
Back then there weren't any meticulous (if any) pronunciation guides
for any language.
I don't know.
--
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen <mcavoys_at@aoldotcom> wrote:
> On 29/04/2012 10:24 AM, Warp wrote:
> > Warp<war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> >> Sounds a bit Scottish.
> >
> > I don't know if it's just because I'm tired, but I couldn't stop
> > laughing at this:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BncDeMO_en0
> >
> :-(
> This video contains content from Channel 5, who has blocked it in your
> country on copyright grounds.
What's the point?
If you like, I could send you the .flv file, if you can play them.
--
- Warp
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Stephen <mcavoys_at@aoldotcom> wrote:
> On 29/04/2012 10:24 AM, Warp wrote:
> > Warp<war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> >> Sounds a bit Scottish.
> >
> > I don't know if it's just because I'm tired, but I couldn't stop
> > laughing at this:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BncDeMO_en0
> >
> :-(
> This video contains content from Channel 5, who has blocked it in your
> country on copyright grounds.
Maybe this will work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5Wuwi9ZKxE
--
- Warp
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