Re: Slezan
| From: | Tristan McLeay <zsau@...> |
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| Date: | Wednesday, January 28, 2004, 12:59 |
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On Mon, 26 Jan 2004, Costentin Cornomorus wrote:
> --- Joe <joe@...> wrote:
>
> > Yes, but by then it was far enough to be called
> > a seperate Language.
> > Calling French 'Vulgar Latin' is like calling
> > Scots 'Old English'.
>
> I guess that depends on what you take to be "far
> enough"! I mean, when are we going to realise
> that none of can read Beowulf without lots of
> study? When do WE get a new name for our
> language? We haven't had a change since Primitive
> West Germanic became Anglian (>English)!
Anglian didn't become English. -an to -sh is a sound change so bizarre I
don't think even I would try it! :)
And anyway, we *do* have a different name. Beowulf was written in 'Old
English'. The 'Old' isn't just a modifier, it's a part of the name. Sure,
'English' is ambiguous between 'the family of languages descended from Old
English, possibly excluding Scots/Shetlandic etc.' and 'PDE', but that
doesn't mean we propose that Beowulf is written in the same language as it
is we speak today.
(And for that matter, it has changed: It used to be 'englisc', then it
became 'english', now it's 'English' :P)
--
Tristan
Jak furf an Mjark in Føtisk. --mif
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