The Canterbury Tales Prologue - Middle English Reading

[Pancakebooks]

What I like more than this video are the nerd fights (oops, did I say that word again?) between the Brits and the Yanks. Wut, u no like bad gramer? America, fuck ya!

[rjs1111]

Well done! (from an English teacher)

[csm1025]

How about The Wife's Lament? I read it in high school but I would love to hear it in it's original language!

[LOLUK]

Please make more videos! I'm a english nerd like you, currently doing a degree, I'm something of a medieval novice (modernism's more my thing, but medieval's fascinating nonetheless), and would love to hear more of your readings!! :-)

[stamjh]

It was a compliment, the reading was excellent but I nearly didn't get to it. Next time I hope to give you a right-handed compliment!

[stamjh]

In spite of the offputting prologue to the prologue (the first 30 seconds of the video) I persevered and was rewarded for my perseverance. The reading sounds convincing in the sense that there is little or no trace of the speaker's own accent, which is not the impression I get from listening to the other versions of this on YouTube. Well done!

[Sestet]

@stamjh ... I suppose a left-handed compliment is still a compliment. :) Thanks.

[jmo922]

Woah:D how'd u memorize this? I need to learn in by Monday! I wish I was an "english nerd"(:

[Sestet]

Now now, gentlemen. We're all here to enjoy the language and the poetry, are we not?

[alifeofreason]

Can you read Paradise Lost?

[Sestet]

@alifeofreason I don't see why not. I can't imagine it'd be a particularly deep linguistic exercise, since Milton wrote in Early Modern English (which sounds just like heavily accented Modern English), but he has always been a personal favourite of mine.

[alifeofreason]

@Sestet Spinoza is my personal favourite.

[PatrickOfLondon]

Hi,

Stumbled (inexplicably) across your Canterbury Tales reading while idly browsing away a late Saturday night. Lovely to see such youthful interest in and passion for an ancient form of our rich and mutual language. May it continue to bring you, and you us, such joy.

[knerkpop25]

A pleasant surprise to encounter an American who is'nt as ignorant as shit regarding the culture they inherited from us . So much so , in fact , that I can even forgive you for employing the phrase 'English nerd' .

[Sestet]

@knerkpop25 I'm flattered, but feel obligated to inform you that I'm Canadian. ;)

[Jeansieguy]

@Sestet Excellent :)

[strauss12345]

@knerkpop25

That is an absolutely insulting and incorrect thing to say.

[strauss12345]

@knerkpop25

Might I add ignorant? The irony...

[knerkpop25]

@strauss12345 If I am ignorant of the possibility that some American people actually appreciate the value and richness of the language they have inherited from we , the English people , then I must hang my head in doubt . But be advised , if you are going to launch into a tirade against the English , employing such cheap Americanisms as 'nerd' and 'whatever' , then be prepared to be thoroughly insulted , not for your American-ness , but for your sheer lack of imagination .

[strauss12345]

I have no adverse feelings about the English whatsoever. In fact, I greatly admire the English people. I had no plan to "launch into a tirade against the English" or to employ "such cheap Americanisms as 'nerd' and whatever'". Even if I did say the words "nerd" or "whatever", that would merely be part of my language, and you are a rude snob to say otherwise. You are the one who lacks any iota of imagination: you only prove this to be so by making stereotypical comments about Americans.

[ilyverymuchly]

@knerkpop25 Well, you're very judgmental, aren't you? Despite being an American and consequently ignorant as shit, I began teaching myself Anglo-Saxon at age 12, and began constructing my own language at age 13. Many of my friends are also intelligent, despite being Americans. However, I've already met two English people who lyk 2 spel lyk dis.

[bluehaze1029]

You really awesome. I need to learn more about middle English!

[ValleyOfTime]

you're pretty

[ag80863]

Surely the Muses are pleased by your joyful readings. At the end of this video you say you'd read more should it be requested. Please consider this a request to read as much of the CT as possible. Thanks.

[Sestet]

@ag80863 I posted several additional videos today.

[MysteriousJG]

Call me ignorant ("you're ignorant!") but listening, I'd never think that was even related to English. When you read the words then obviously a lot of it is recognizable, but hearing it spoken...it sounds really, really Nordic. And now I'm thinking about that goofy Hollywood Beowulf adaptation from a few years back...

[Sestet]

@MysteriousJG The one with Angelina Jolie? Yes, that was quite terrible. English has not changed very much over the last seven centuries in terms of spelling, but it has changed much in terms of pronunciation. Its older form sounded very similar to modern Dutch or German.