... on How would a person from the Middle Ages react to today's society? (Quora)

Question

How would a person from the Middle Ages react to today's society?

Hans Meier

He/she would have massiv problems to understand todays functions.

Most of items, ways of living, as well languages differ from those days.

So, see him/her as a new born baby, it won`t be much different.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

How idiotic!

Just because someone doesn’t exactly speak your language, you don’t treat him as a baby.

And Walter von der Vogelweide would have less problems with Swiss German than with standard variety.

Hans Meier

Sorry, but you should first read, then understand something, that is written.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

With reading, Walter von der Vogelweide would probably start understanding modern Standard German as well.

And as for Chaucer, modern English has practically conserved his spelling.

In other words, your scenario is still not very plausible.

Hans Meier

As far I know, question was, how someone of MIDDLE AGE would act.

Means, this person would have a total different education, language etc.

Things, which are normal for us today, would have been sience about 100 years ago.

Now, think about someone, who is 500 years back our time.

Just a simple pencil, a mobile, our language, clothes, vehicles…nearly evrything will be like nightmare to him.

So, forget about your Walter, spread your view to a normal situation, not just your dream.

Hans-Georg Lundahl

“Means, this person would have a total different education, language etc.”

I was answering precisely on “language”.

For German, the Middle High German of 13th C. South German poet - namely Walter von der Vogelweide - is close enough to Swiss German, he could live in Switzerland. While trying to master things like “mîn guoter bruoder” becoming “mein guter Bruder”.

For Chaucer, he could opt for where they speak Yola.

EITHER of them would find reading modern versions of their languages fairly comprehensible in the written form.

While Chaucer would be tempted to pronounce “a true knight” like “a trü Knicht” rather than like “a tru Neid”, he would understand the written phrase perfectly.

A simple pencil would so not be a nightmare to them, it was invented in the Middle Ages.

Clothes, they were aware of different clothes back then. + if they had luck they could meet some SCA enactors dressed in Medieval clothes.

Cars would be a shock at first, but bikes would not.

A mobile, well, some of US don’t use mobiles.

“So, forget about your Walter, spread your view to a normal situation, not just your dream.”

Your so called “normal situation” is what is a dream.

All or nearly all Medieval languages have survived in some form somewhere. ALL (without exception) Modern languages had Medieval predecessors which for the period 1000 - 1500 are close enough.

You have just revealed you know NOTHING about linguistics.

If you speak German, you probably heard “uns ist in alten Mären wunders viel geseit” and went “Mären? Wunders? Geseit? Was ist DAS?” or sth.

OK, you could imagine the visitor from the Middle Ages was someone with YOUR lack of linguistic curiosity and flexibility, but if so, I am free to take the visitor as having MY presence of these qualities.

By the way, in the question it said “Middle Ages”, that is Mittelalter. As for MIDDLE AGE, that means a person who is between 40 and 60. I presume that could also be “Mittelalter” in German, I left Austria at 11, but in English at least the phrases are different for the two concepts. In Swedish too.