• NotSteve_@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    Side question, but would ancient Romans be able to decipher a modern day language from one book? I’d imagine a language with Latin based words might be easy enough but not sure how equipped they were.

    I miss /r/AskHistorians

      • NotSteve_@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        Oh yeah, for sure as an answer to the OP question, but I’m still curious about their decyphering ability

        • I Cast FistOP
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          8 months ago

          Depends on which modern language we’re talking. If it’s italian or romenian, they’d likely manage to work that “filthy” latin into “proper” latin. Greek might also work. Portuguese, spanish and french would require a LOT of work with native speakers and I suspect german and english would completely fail, “Why in Jupiter’s dangling balls these barbarians keep changing the sound of the fucking vowels???”

          • nyctre@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Is romenian Italian with a Rome accent? Or do you mean Romanian? Cause if so, it’s just as far from latin as French or Spanish. Greek would actually be the best modern language to send back in time, I think. Modern Greeks have issues understanding ancient Greek, but the reverse wouldn’t be true, apparently.

            • I Cast FistOP
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              8 months ago

              Ops, Romanian, yeah. The country name’s “Romenia” in Portuguese and I forgot it was different in English