The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Languages evolve over time, prompting a great question: How far back in time could you go and still understand English?

If you were to speak to someone from the 1800s, or read a book from the same period, you would likely be fine. Sense and Sensibility (1811) remains comprehensible, for example, with some even claiming to be entertained by it.

Go back a little further though, and you will begin to struggle, partly thanks to what is known as the Great Vowel Shift, or Great Vowel Movement. From the 15th to 18th century CE, people English speakers began to pronounce their long vowels differently, making Middle English sound pretty alien to Modern English speakers.

During these c

See Full Page