LL-L "Comprehension" 2008.07.07 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

=======================================================================

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net

 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html

 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html

 Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
 sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.


 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)

=======================================================================

 ========================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L - 07 July 2008 - Volume 05
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please set the encoding mode to Unicode (UTF-8).
If viewing this in a web browser, please click on
the html toggle at the bottom of the archived page
and switch your browser's character encoding to Unicode.
 ========================================================================

From: Theo Homan <theohoman at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Comprehension" 2008.07.07 (03) [E]

> From heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk
>
> I think Pepys is probably within the range of most people
> who have the will
> to pursue the text. (c 1660-1680)
>
> I think it is safe to say that the majority of English
> speakers can read
> Shakespeare c 1580-1620 BUT do not necessarily understand
> 100% of what they
> are reading.
>
> As for Chaucer c 1400 the majority of people would struggle
> with his texts
> if they were left unguided by those who know them.
>
> Medieval texts say 1200-1300 would be incomprehensible -
> except for a word
> or phrase here and there
>
> pre Conquest texts i.e. before 1066 utterly
> incomprehensible unless you have
> a good working knowledge of German.
>
> These opinions are based on our palaeography class which
> works once a month
> over winter on old texts. We have dealt with documents in
> the original from
> 1688, which once you are able to read the handwriting, are
> fairly clear
> except for archaicisms. The 16th century documents are
> harder to read
> because of the v different handwriting and the English once
> read is less
> easy to understand - often convoluted and vague. We have
> also read 15th &
> 14th century documents and once again it is
> 'reading' the handwriting that
> causes the problems. The texts are usually self explanatory
> because we tend
> to be reading rent rolls or court rolls rather than prose.
>
> But there is the added problem that before 1400-1450 many
> of the documents
> are in Latin or French with tons of abbreviations which
> make life v v
> difficult. Luckily we have an expert teacher who picks up
> these manscripts
> and reads them as if they were today's newspapers.
>
> It is also clear that those of us that have learnt Latin
> and / or other
> languages have the advantage of those who only know modern
> English. Maybe it
> is just a case of a more flexible mind looking eagerly for
> solutions... I
> don't know but but certainly the best 'readers'
> are those who are not
> monoglots.

Hi,

Let's say it as short as possible:
All this counts as well for Icelandic.
The old narrative prose is -of the old texts- the easiest to understand for
Icelanders.

vr. gr.
Theo Homan

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20080707/f4e4ed76/attachment.htm>