For the next 12 months I am going to write in fourth century English.
English did not exist back then, just the ancient German that it would grow out of some day. But we can make a sort of fourth century English by seeing what English words are used to translate Augustine. It turns out that the most frequently used English words match up more or less with the Latin words that he used himself.
What I did: I took the English words most frequently used in translating Augustine. In addition I took any word of Basic English that is found in Augustine’s “Confessions” or “City of God” or in the Vulgate as translated into English in Douai and Rheims 400 years ago.
Nine in ten of these words are also found in Shakespeare. This is a bit of good news: whatever I do, I want nine in ten of my words to be from Shakespeare.
In the end I have an English that is as close to the Latin of the fourth century in terms of knowledge and ideas as I can hope to get. Short of writing in Latin itself, that is. In addition, I will have an English that should be rather easy to translate into Latin.
So that is what I will write in. I can use other words, but only for a tenth of my words at most.
-‘s -d -ed -er -es -est -eth -ful -ing -less -ly -ment -ness -r
-s -ship -st -ward -wise
co- im- in- re- un-
a abandon abide ability able abode about above abroad absent absolute absurd abundance abundant abyss accept accomplish accord account accuse acknowledge across act action acute add addition admire admit adultery advantage adversary aerial affair affect affection affirm afraid after again against age agree aid air alike alive all allow almighty almost alms alone along already also altar although altogether always amid among amount amuse ancient and angel anger angry animal another answer ant any apart apostle apparent appear appearance apple apply appoint approval arch argue arise arithmetic ark arm army arose art as ascribe ashamed aside ask assert assign associate assume assure at attack attain attempt attention attraction attribute aught author authority avoid awake aware away
baby back bad bag balance ball band banish bank baptism bar barren base basin basket bath battle be bear beast beauty because become bed bee beef beer before beget begin behaviour behold belief believe bell belong beloved below beneath benefit bent beseech besides bestow between betwixt beyond bind bird birth bishop bit bite bitter black blade blame bless blind blood blow blue board boat body boil bond bondage bone book born borne both bottle box boy brain brake branch brass bread break breath brick brief bright bring brother brown brush bucket build burden burn burst bury busy but butter by
cake calamity call can canonical capable capacity captive captivity care carnal carriage carry cart case cast cause cease celebrate celestial certain chain chalk chance change chapter character charge charity chaste chastity cheap check cheese chest chief child chin choice choose chorus church circle citizen city civil clean cleanse clear cleave close cloth clothe cloud club coal coat cold collar college colony colour comb come comfort command commend commit common community company compare comparison compassion compel complete compose comprehend conceive conception concern conclude concord condemn condition conduct confess confession confusion connect connection conquer conscience conscious consecrate consent consequence consequent consider consideration consist consult consume contact contain contemplation contend content continue contrary control convert cook copper copy cord corporeal corrupt corruptible corruption counsel count countenance country course covenant cover cow create creation creator creature credible credit crime cross crow cruel crush cry cup cure curiosity current curtain custom cut cycle
damage dance danger dare dark daughter day dead dear death debt deceit deceive decision declare dedicate deed deep defence defend definition deformity degree deity delicate delight deliver
deliverance deluge demand demon deny depart dependent depraved deprive depth derive descend descendant deserve design desire despise destined destroy destruction detail develop devil die difference different difficult difficulty dignity diligent direction dirty disaster discern disciple discourse discover discovery discuss discussion disease disgust disobedience displease dispose dispute distance distinct distinction distinguish distribution divers diverse diversity divide divine divinity division do doctrine dog dominion door doubt down draw dread dress drink drive drop dry due duration during dust duty dwell
each ear early earth east easy eat edge education effect egg either elder element else embassy eminent emotion empire empty end endure enemy engine enjoy enlighten enough enter entire entrance envy epistle equal error escape especial establish estate esteem eternal eternity even event ever every evident evil exalt example excellent except exception exchange exercise exhibit exist expectation experience expert explain expose express expression extend extent eye
fable fabulous face fact fail fair faith fall false familiar family famous fancy far farm fashion fast fat fate father fault favour fear feather feeble feed feel feet felicity fellow female fertile few fiction field fight figure fill final find fine finger finish finite fire firmament fish fit fix flag flame flat flee flesh flight flood floor flower fly fold follow folly food foolish foot for forbid force fore foreign forget forgive form forsake forth fortitude fortune foul found foundation fountain fowl frame free freedom frequent friend from front fruit fulfil full future
gain game garden gather general generation genius geometry get ghost gift girl give glass glorious glory go goat god goddess gold good gospel govern grace grain grand grant grass grateful great green grey grief grieve grievous ground grow growth guide guilt guilty
hair hammer hand hang happen happy harbour hard harm harmony hate hatred have he head heal health healthy hear heart heat heaven heavy hell help hence here heretic hide high history hold hole hollow holy home honour hook hope horn horrible horse hostile house how human humble humility humour hunger hurt husband
I ice idea idol if ignorance ignorant ill illustrious image imitate immediate imperial important impulse impunity in include increase indeed indicate individual industry infant inferior infirmity inflict influence inhabitant iniquity injury ink innocent innumerable inquire insect instance instead institute instruct instruction instrument intellectual intelligence intelligible intend intercourse interest interpret interpretation interval into introduce invent invention involve iron island it
jewel join journey joy judge just justice justify
keep kettle key kick kill kind kindle king kingdom kiss knee knife know knowledge
labour land language large last late laugh law lay lead leaf learn leather leave left leg leisure length less lest let letter level liberty library lie life lift light like limb limit line linen lip liquid list little live lo lock long look loose lord lose loss lost lot loud love low lust luxury
mad maid maintain make male man manifest manner many map market marriage marry martyr marvel marvellous mass master match material matter may meal mean measure meat mediator medical meet member memory men mental mention mercy mere merit metal middle midst might mighty military milk mind ministry minute miracle miserable misery miss mist mix modesty moment money monstrous month moon moral more morning mortal mortality most mother motion mount mountain mouth move much multiply multitude music must mutable mystery
nail name narrative narrow nation natural nature nay near necessary necessity neck need needle neighbour neither nerve net never new next night no noble noise none nor north nose not note now number nut
o obedience obey object obscure observation observe obtain obvious occasion occur of off offence offer office often oil old omit on once only open operation opinion opportunity oppose opposite or oracle order ordinary origin original ornament other ought out oven over own
page pain paint paper paradise parallel parcel pardon parent part party pass passage passion past paste patent patience pay peace peculiar pen pencil people perceive perchance perfect perfection perform perhaps period perish permit persecution person persuade pertain perturbation philosopher philosophy physical physics picture piety pilgrimage pin pious pipe pity place plain plane plant plate play please pleasure plough poet point poison polish political pollute poor porter portion position possess possession possible post posterity pot pour poverty powder power practice practise praise pray prayer precede precept precious predict prefer prepare presence present preserve presume prevent previous price pride priest priesthood primitive prince princess principle print prison private probable proceed process proclaim produce profit progress prohibit promise pronounce proof proper property prophecy prophesy prophet prophetic proportion prose prosperity protest proud prove provide providence prudent psalm public pull punish pure purify purity purpose push put
quality queen question quick quiet quite quote
race rain raise range rank rate rather rational reach read ready real reality reason recall receipt receive reckon recognise record red refer reference refuse regard regeneration region regret regular reign reject rejoice relate relation religion religious remain remember remembrance remove render renew reply report repose represent representative republic request require resist respect responsible rest restore restrain result resurrection retain return reveal reward rhythm rich right righteous ring rise rite river road rod roll roof room root rough round royal rub ruin rule run
sacrament sacred sacrifice sacrilegious sad safe safety sail saint sake salt salvation same sand satisfy save saviour saw say scale scarce scenic school science scripture sea search seat second secret secretary sect secure seduce see seed seek seem select selection self senate send sensation sense sensible sentence separate separation series serious servant serve service set settle several severe sex shade shadow shake shall shame sharp she shed sheep shine ship shock shoe short should show shrink shut sick side sight sign signify silence silent silk silver similar simple sin since sing single sir sister size skill skin skirt sky slave slay sleep slip slow small smell smile smoke smooth snake snow so social society soft solid some son song soon sorrow sort soul sound south space spade spare speak special speech spend spirit spiritual sponge sport spring square stage stamp stand star start state station steel step stick stiff still stomach stone stop store story straight strange street strength stretch strife strike strong structure style subdue subject substance succeed succession such sudden suffer suffice sufficient suggestion suicide suitable summer sun superior support suppose supreme sure surprise sweet swim sword system
table tail take talk tall taste tax teach tear tell temple temporal temptation term terrestrial test testament testify testimony than thank that the theatre theatrical then thence theology theory there they thick thin thing think thirst this thither thorough thou though thought thread threat throat throne through throw thumb thunder thus till time tin tire title to toe together told tomorrow tongue too tooth top torment touch town trade train transgression translate transport treat tree tribe trinity trouble true trust truth try turn twin twist
under understand unite unity universal universe unless until unto up upon usage use utter
vain value vanity variety various vast verse very vessel vice vicious victory view violence violent virgin virtue visible vision voice
wait walk wall want war warm wash waste watch water wave wax way we weak wealth weather week weep weight well west wet what wheel when whence where whether which while whilst whip whistle white whither who whole wholesome why wicked wide wife wild will win wind window wine wing winter wisdom wise wish wit with woman womb wonder wont wood wool word work world worm worship worthy would wound wrath wretch write wrong wrought
ye yea yellow yes yesterday yet yield yoke you young youth
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Atlanticisms are American and British dialect words that are understood on both sides of the Atlantic:
One commenter said this:
The Lord’s Prayer in an extreme form of Grey English (extreme to make a point):
Here is the Lord’s Prayer in Early Modern English (from the Geneva Bible of 1587):
Ebonics (1600s- ) or Black English is what the Wikipedia calls African American Vernacular English (AAVE), meaning the street English of blacks in America. Since the 1940s much of American slang has come from Black English, some of it becoming part of Standard English, like put down, corny and cool.
Abagond 