How Far Back in Time...

[presta]

...can you read English

https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/how-far-back-in-time-understand-english

1500

 

[Speicher]

1500

 

[sevenfourate]

1500.

Although none of those examples are as hard to decipher as my kids text messages.

 

[raleighnut]

1400 but I was forced to read Chaucer for my English Lit. 'O' level.

 

[Beebo]

I can get the gist of what is being said at 1300, but not understand every word.

 

[sevenfourate]

I can get the gist of what is being said at 1300, but not understand every word.

Kudos !

*I was the same with 1400’s. But the title / question was ‘What can you read’ - not what can you guess or fill in the blanks in your head with 🤣😁

 

[Drago]

1400, but only with serious effort.

 

[MichaelW2]

I juft about mayde it to the Black Death

 

[EckyH]

1600 was difficult, 1500 very difficult.
Excuses: My last English lesson was 30 years ago and I didn't read "real" English literature yet.

E.

 

[wiggydiggy]

1600 was the last year I understood it all.

 

[Drago]

Accy would feel right hat home in 1300, although his manner of dress would earn him a position as court jester.

 

[Dogtrousers]

At 1300 I was doing ok, with only a handful of guesses. Then 1200, no chance.

 

[annedonnelly]

1400 and I can manage quite a bit of 1300.

I did some transcription of Manorial Documents a couple of years ago. I forget how far back mine went but they were trickier as they were handwritten. But it meant that I knew about some of the old letters such as thorn and the long s.

 

[sungod]

knowing the long s, and þe thorn, phonetic spelling gets me to 1300 with a bit of gueſſing

 

[fossyant]

1100

Þæt ƿif me andsƿarode and cƿæð, “Ic eom Ælfgifu gehaten.

Don't use a hammer and chisel on your bike !