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How far back in time can you understand English?
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this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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From 1400 and back, it's more phonetic. Less differentiation between how it sounds and how it's written, plus the accent shifts.
I feel an old Scots(wo)man might be more at ease with it, if read aloud. As both their words and this seems like the same kind of gibberish to me.
Fit? We dinna spik gibberish! It's thon Sassenachs that makkit the book wi' spellings that mak yi feel like yir heid is mince!
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What? We don't speak gibberish! It's those English that made the book (ie dictionary) with spellings that make you feel your head is mince(d beef).