Languages

[Fake Messiah]

I can read old English just fine.  It's certainly not distinct like Russian.

LOL! You certainly can not read Old English like the Canterbury Tales. You have to be an expert. For instance in the TBBT tv show Amy was translating Canterbury Tales for the rest of them.

But I was talking about the English language from the time of Shakespeare which is very similar to today's English but only superficially because it is filled with words that have lost or changed meaning, not to mention grammar and structure.

Here is a bit from King Lear

The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look to receive from his age, not alone the imperfections of long-engraffed condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

What does engraffed mean? How about therewithal?

Or take the lines that come afterward

Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him as this of Kent’s banishment.

There is further compliment of leave-taking between France and him. Pray you, let’s hit together.

It means “starts” like shocks, with the banishment being an example, I guess. “There is further compliment of leave-taking”? What compliment? What are they all going to “hit” together? And this is only three ordinary lines.

That is why in 1955, Alfred Harbage described the mood of most audiences at Shakespeare performances as “reverently unreceptive,” “gratified that they have come, and gratified that they now may go.”