Early Middle English Lord's Prayer, London Dialect C. 1190 (plus extras)

[@smultanius]

Languages don't fall, they change. Due to our upbringing we tend to see older varieties of English as more prestigious and refined, but remember that the Romance languages, generally regarded as among the most beautiful and prestigious languages in the world, are "fallen" forms of Latin, and that if you go back far enough, Old English and Latin are "fallen" forms of Proto-Indo-European. And if you've ever heard anyone try to pronounce reconstructed PIE, you'll be grateful for that "fall".

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

Cool. Might you be able to shed some light on pronunciation of Early Modern English? Some friends of mine and I are working on a project that employs more archaic modern English dialects, but I have no idea where to even start looking for how these dialects would've sounded.

[@kikiochiachi]

This makes you wonder how far language will fall in another two hundred years.

[@tonegrail650]

Sounds much closer to Old English than Middle English to me. I would think that it was still mutually Intelligible with Old English as opposed to the English of Chaucer.

[@EricBryan]

Really great video. Glad you included the different versions...saved me from looking each one up individually!

[@zorgzarg9849]

On the other hand, there's a case that the languages of the greatest civilizations were integral to the thought and expression of those cultures; and that linguistic and cultural change (upwards or downwards) are linked. This view, of course, won't make sense if one is an absolute relativist who sees no higher value in anything compared to anything else.

[@SuperDrake85]

What about "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory?" or was that a modern thing?

[@resurgam44]

What are you blathering on about? The first recording is a London dialect, c.1190-1225, the second A West Saxon dialect c. 900-1000, the third, a central midlands dialect, c. 1390, and the last, an "OP" London accent, c. 1611. Where does Norfolk come in? All these (except for the last one) are varieties of Old and Middle English, which means lightly trilled [r]s, fully realized consonants and continental vowels.

[@resurgam44]

@MaBu888 quasi Germanic ü? Hwi secgest þu þisum þingas? Ic cann understandað þe nawiht.

[@resurgam44]

@MaBu888 Ah. Alright.

[@inkstersco]

Thankyou for not doing the General Prologue.

[@jwul0058]

Hope they employ you to advise on movies of those periods. Would be great to watch a movie with actors speaking the middle english.

[@resurgam44]

There is very little guesswork here; the Old English and Middle English versions are written with a very phonetic orthography, and based on centuries of comparative philological study. The most speculative is my Early Modern English reading, which uses MUCH less phonetic spelling, and is thus more dependent on reconstruction. David Crystal's "Pronouncing Shakespeare" is a great place to start if you're interested in Early Modern English. Also, all versions read here can be found online. :)

[@resurgam44]

The last recording, however, is from mid-way through the GVS, which means un-trilled, fully pronounced [r]s and partially shifted vowels. It may sound Irish to you, but that doesn't change the fact that it's more-or-less how English was spoken during that period. Look these things up next time before making a fool of yourself.

[@kotsxz]

You have very impressive language skills. Thank you for posting this. Now for a stupid question from a neophyte: Since obviously there were no recordings of these languages when they were "mainstream:, how do linguists know what they sounded like?

[@resurgam44]

end-rhymes, alliteration, etc. We also know what the Latin alphabet sounded like in late-antiquity (via contemporary grammars), so we know what sounds were appropriated by the Anglo-Saxons some 1700 years ago. Using that in conjunction with modern Germanic languages (and their respective histories), we can have a pretty good idea what English (in its manifold dialects) sounded like at any stage in its 1500+ year journey. Also, we know what English sounded like mid vowel-shift (in the 16th/17th centuries) because of contemporary writers, so we have a way-point there, too. Ben Jonson, for example, tells us that "r" is the "letter of the dog" (sort of a "rrrrrr" kind of sound), so we know it was still pronounced in England during that period.

[@alyssamorales1851]

Absolutely, That's why I'm here.

[@nenabunena]

I had once heard the differences on an audio in school, I have since been looking for the uttered differences between old, middle & current english. anyway, thank you!

[@user-dv9bj3gb3e]

bro looks like tyler durden

[@AlexanderOlinger]

cool

[@wallacebell9719]

You look like Riley from National Treasure

[@resurgam44]

@SuperDrake85 The doxology is absent in Luke's version, and also in the earliest extant copies of Matthew. Because of this, it's likely a later addition, and not representative of what Matthew (or his ilk) originally wrote down. It does show up pretty early, though. For instance, it's present in Wulfila's Gothic language New Testament, which was translated from an unknown Greek exemplar C. 360 AD.

[@Solstisol]

'Sounds a bit Brummy.

[@disaronnocoke2539]

That last one sounds a bit like a Birmingham accent or there abouts... ;)

[@vukashin88]

and especially american english;

[@netisforporn666]

Can you put the various renditions back to back to back in another video so we can more easily compare? Thanks for your vids btw.

[@resurgam44]

@inkstersco You're very welcome! While I love Chaucer to death, certain parts of his works have just been done to death. I think I might record something else by him. Perhaps, "Chaucer's Complaint to his Purse", or "To Adam Scryven"? Both are a hoot, and well worth the price of admission. Cheers.

[@mh605]

It would be great if you'd put the words on the screen as you read them so we can see them. That would be very helpful!

[@resurgam44]

@resurgam44 I should add (9 months late!) that my umlauted 'ü' pronounciation of the Anglo-Saxon character 'y' is by all accounts correct, and in fact evidences the dramatic effects of i-mutation in words that historically contained an 'u' in Proto-Germanic. For instance, cyning (küning - 'king') descends from PGmc *kuningaz. The shift to an 'i' sound didn't happen until later, and then only in the E. Midlands/North (more-or-less). In Kent, 'y' became 'e', and in the West, 'y' reverted to 'u'.

[@Fersomling]

Most interesting. Thank you. 17 August 2015

[@kinnon88]

Interesting, but I don't understand how he can interpret the dialect of the time. It seems it's purely speculation. If he's basing it on modern dialect of these areas he is way off.

[@dblissmn]

Because the writers of the time whose work survives made clear phonetic notations and intended their work to be used, among other things, as a standard pronunciation guide. That and the extent to which they wrote in verse helps, because you combine the rhyming of the words and their notations and you end up with a clear idea at least of how they intended it to sound.

[@resurgam44]

@SolInvictus Actually, I don't really remember where I got my username from; it's been my handle since grade 10, or so. I think it was derived either from the gravestone in Jane Eyre, or from the motto "ex igne resurgam". I didn't read Revelation Space until grade 12, so that couldn't have been the source. Nevertheless, thanks for reminding me about that book! I loved it, and am looking forward to reading through it again.

[@yuzukimikuru8190]

Really good. *-*

[@jlbinindiana]

Enjoyed it!

[@titansilva24]

Sounds kind of Italian

[@johnaybier418]

LOL no way. Although the pronunciation in this video could be better,but this is far away how latin langues sound.

[@titansilva24]

I've never heard anything like this before def cool

[@MikDonsen]

+John Aybier Actually there it totally does sound like in italian much the same as swedish does they have common roots.

[@bbvibrabb]

There's nothing wrong with your head don't worry

[@upyr1]

4:50 Sounds rather Irish

[@MTruper]

Okay, so I've watch the first minute, and this video so far is not what it says it is. Thanks but no thanks.