What this thread brings to my mind: a discussion between three people — a man who speaks modern American English, a man who speaks middle English, and a man who speaks Engrish. There’s some level of mutual intelligibility, but truthfully, they don’t understand each other at all and likely never will.
Can I be the Middle English guy?
And up the window did he hastily,
And out his erse he put full privily
Over the buttock, to the haunche bone.
And therewith spake this clerk, this Absolon,
“Speak, sweete bird, I know not where thou art.”
This Nicholas anon let fly a fart,
As great as it had been a thunder dent;
That with the stroke he was well nigh y-blent;
But he was ready with his iron hot,
And Nicholas amid the erse he smote.
How did I miss this?
That’s amazing. I laughed so hard.
JEDIT: No, I don’t recall having read The Canterbury Tales.