“Therefore my observation is that the influence of Shakespeare sealed the English language causing it to remain mostly unchanged in the centuries since his death.”
English, unchanged, since 1616? You cannot be serious. English, more than any other language on earth has morphed, changed, adapted, stolen and expanded more than any other language on earth.
It is probably the language most different than its 1616 form than any other.
English is a snowball, rolling across the earth, taking what it likes in words and usage and structure, and rolling on.... bigger and with more kinetic energy.
There is no “Academie English”. English is the wild west of languages. English beats up other languages in dark alleys, then rifles through their pockets looking for loose grammar and vocabulary.
No, the only thing English HAS done since Shakespeare is to change.
I'm glad I wasn't drinking coffee when I read this...
Key word is “MOSTLY.” English language changed LESS in the 400 years since his death than it did in the 100 years before his birth. Take a look at English from the late 1400s and it is much different.
No, the only thing English HAS done since Shakespeare is to change......You are correct. If we somehow, were transported back four hundred, three hundred, two hundred years ago we would be unable to understand the language.
LOL.
This may explain the Amount of Piracy committed in the reign of Elisabeth.