What language(s) were spoken in 14th century England?

[solkoe]

and is there a site where I can listen to them?

[Giles]

English (in many widely differing dialects)
French (Anglo-Norman -- but dying out at this stage)
Latin
Cornish
Welsh

[essell]

How many were writen?
I'd guess that english was most popular spoken, but more writing was done in Latin, due to the nature of education at the time. Am I right? Or not?

[Giles]

English, French and Latin were all used extensively in written documents. Welsh was mostly used in Wales, and was written there, but some Welsh spilled over the border into England. I'm not sure how much was written in Cornish.

[sjc]

Originally Posted by solkoe

and is there a site where I can listen to them?

I would say no, probably not, at least not to what they really sound like back then. (Though you might be able to find some place with approximations).

[Walloon]

Listen to Chaucer spoken in Middle English pronunciations.

[solkoe]

Originally Posted by Walloon

Listen to Chaucer spoken in Middle English pronunciations.

That was very cool!!!
Am I listening to the way people talked 700 years ago?
A book I read The Illuminator claims that English was growing by this time but that most people spoke Norse French.
I am confused about the origins of these languages. Isn't English a combination of Norse (Viking) and French?

[Walloon]

Originally Posted by solkoe

Isn't English a combination of Norse (Viking) and French?

Read all about it.

[Frank]

Originally Posted by solkoe

Isn't English a combination of Norse (Viking) and French?

The experts have yet to chime in, but I'll mention that Engish is originally a Germanic language (Frisian, to be exact), and it has had no problem in filing off the serial numbers of any word it liked from any language.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

Originally Posted by Walloon

Listen to Chaucer spoken in Middle English pronunciations.

Listen to Chaucer spoken in a slightly more modern idiom.

[si_blakely]

Originally Posted by Frank

The experts have yet to chime in, but I'll mention that Engish is originally a Germanic language (Frisian, to be exact), and it has had no problem in filing off the serial numbers of any word it liked from any language.

I always thought of the english as mugging unwary languages in dark alleys, and rifling its pockets for loose words.

Si

[essell]

Originally Posted by si_blakely

I always thought of the english as mugging unwary languages in dark alleys, and rifling its pockets for loose words.

Si

What do you think the expansion of the British empire was all about? The economic and political effects were minor compared the need for new words!

[Ea_calendula]

It was certainly interesting to listen to. Not least because I'm Danish, and it sounded quite a lot what I could have sounded like, if someone had given me the text and told me to read it without trying to emulate an English accent. I know English has, in part, Germanic roots, so it's not wholly surprising, but it's very interesting nonetheless.

Originally Posted by solkoe

That was very cool!!!
Am I listening to the way people talked 700 years ago?
A book I read The Illuminator claims that English was growing by this time but that most people spoke Norse French.
I am confused about the origins of these languages. Isn't English a combination of Norse (Viking) and French?