# Can Scholars Speak PIE Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2015, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814 "2015-08-14T06:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/1 "2015-08-14T06:41:41Z")
I am fascinated with the subject of ancient languages. And I have just one question about Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Can scholars speak it perfectly now? Or at least near-perfectly? I mean, how well can they “reconstruct” a past language, I guess is my question? Or, simply put another way, if an expert in PIE went back in time, to the original Indo-European people (wherever they may be), how well would they comprehend each other? Would it be immediate? Or would it take a little time, first? :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/2 "2015-08-14T12:38:53Z")
The closest to an answer that I could find in a quick search was this one: > **[Can I learn to speak Proto-Indo-European?](https://www.quora.com/Can-I-learn-to-speak-Proto-Indo-European)** > > Answer (1 of 11): EDIT: Adding original question answered to counteract Quora’s merging of two questions. > > How can I learn Proto-Indo-European? > > This question is ambiguous. What is meant by “learn Proto-Indo-European”? The 3 previous answers assume... An Indo-European scholar who went back in time and was placed among Proto-Indo-Europeans would sound like someone who had been studying Proto-Indo-European for a few weeks at most. It’s like what would happen if a scholar of the Ancient Egyptians went back in time and tried to live in their society (even if they knew Ancient Egyptian perfectly). They would appear to be a stranger who snuck into Egypt a few weeks before and was trying to fit in. We’ve learned a lot from our reconstructions of both the language and society of cultures that were more than a couple thousand years ago, but the amount of knowledge we have is still small compared to all the knowledge that any ordinary person in that society has. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/3 "2015-08-14T17:06:03Z")
When going back in time bring PIE. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/4 "2015-08-14T17:08:50Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > When going back in time bring PIE. _ **standing ovation** _ ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/5 "2015-08-14T22:10:40Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > _ **standing ovation** _ No fooling. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/6 "2015-08-15T01:35:53Z")
[**Prijēiō tewom!**](http://dnghu.org/indo-european-language/node/4) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814/7 "2015-08-15T03:05:46Z")
How does one say pie in PIE?