Assuming we had time machines, what's the furthest we could go back in time only knowing modern English and be able to effectively communicate with English speaking people back then? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Assuming we had time machines, what's the furthest we could go back in time only knowing modern English and be able to effectively communicate with English speaking people back then?

by throwawaystranger69

DanKensington

More can be said, but the FAQ has a section on how far back you can go and still understand [X] language. Here’s the one for English:

When I hear Chaucer spoken in Middle English, it almost sounds more like Dutch than English. But though Shakespeare is closer in time to Chaucer than the present, his English is much easier to understand. What happened to English in between, and why? by /u/bloodswan.