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It will be intelligible, but will it still be art? English lends itself well to all manner of subtext. When what we call english today becomes a dead language,
by PopeOfNope 12y ago
It will be intelligible, but will it still be art? English lends itself well to all manner of subtext. When what we call english today becomes a dead language, will it still even have the same meaning? It's something I occasionally wonder about Shakespeare. It's full of subtext and innuendo, but are we comprehending that subtext and innuendo the way they did back then? Probably not. The definitions of the words and phrases used are too different, let alone the subtext, idioms, etc.
- throwawaymsft 12y agoI think you've answered your own question; we still appreciate Shakespeare as art, even if we can't get as much from it as a contemporary listener would. But historians, etc. can help fill in the gaps (much like reading Greek plays, etc.).