There is not many language that are widely spoken today and the text of AD600 are still read and well understood.
I am trying to compare with the English Classic literature. Search the google for the old text, this is what I found..
Beowulf
Complete Old English text as it appears in the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records edition. From the Labyrinth Library.
www8.georgetown.edu/departments/.../oe/texts/a4.1.html - Cached -
www8.georgetown.edu/departments/.../oe/texts/a4.1.html - Cached -
This is what the text says...
Beowulf
Verse Indeterminate Saxon
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
5
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
10
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned,
geong in geardum, þone god sende
folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat
15
þe hie ær drugon aldorlease
lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea,
wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf;
Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang),
Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
20
Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,
fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,
þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume,
leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal
25
in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.
Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile
felahror feran on frean wære.
Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe,
swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd,
Reading the above, I do not have a clue of what it says, it is as good as a dead language.
I can read the arabic which was written 15 centuries. I have to say that the Arabic must be smarter to be able to make the language comprehensible despite the length of time.
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