Naw the tribes around me were/are pretty chill. If I don’t go in hostile they aren’t going to treat me hostile.
“400 years ago” is probably a very poor time for someone to make claims about being from the future, given that whole century’s paranoia spreading throughout Europe and the colonies, where anything strange was considered witchcraft.
You wouldn’t.
That’s how you get burned at the stake for being a witch lol.
Them: “You’re from the future? Yeah, then prove it.”
Me: “I have no idea how to do anything. Like seriously, I don’t know how to do things.”
Them: “By gum, he IS from the future! Everyone in our time is useful in at least some way!”
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I wouldn’t.
One of those would survive, the other wouldn’t last a week. Not sure in which world those two are equal when it comes to survival.
Well first, you need to specific where you end up, because you aren’t going to convince anyone of anything if you can’t even surmount a simple language barrier. But if you’re talking about convincing English-speakers, if you arrive with the clothes on your back, well the problem solves itself because you’d be wearing things far outside the norm or what’s even remotely possible for the time period.
Of course since this is the 1600s we’re talking about, and you just showed up claiming to be from the future and even looking like you don’t belong, your next issue is figuring out how to avoid them killing you for being a demon or a witch or whatever.
Id invent the smallpox vaccine. For my own safety.
Im sure that would turn a few head before i was burnt at the stake. Lol
If I got transported 400 years in the past I would say a word about being from the future. That would be a great way to get tied up and burnt alive in a village town square. Still many overly superstitious back then.
But then what if you stayed a while had a kind with someone back then and you ended up taking that away from someone else but then you ended up being your own great great great grandparent. Like what if you helped to create you? Kinda like how in Zelda OoT for the Windmill song paradox.
Or if you never could go back to the future then idk. Grew up in the snow with it being 30 below F, not C. So be super cold back then vs only slightly cold with modern heating.
Was a history nerd in my school days…I’d prove I was from the future by changing events and end up making a new timeline where idiots are never given places of power. It’d probably go south real fast for me lol
So the year would be Monday, January 1, 1624.
They see my phone and watch. Yep I’m getting tried as a witch. 
Stupid 400 years ago. 
Pantomiming. Language evolves so swiftly you would struggle to understand your own in a 200 year variance let alone 400.
Naw english from 1624 would have a 90% or so comprehension rate of modern english.
You should be able to understand pretty much everything they say, or infer the words you don’t know based on context. But you’d have to be careful not to use modern slang or they’ll be very confused at you.
Even middle english is mostly understandable… ish. early english is practically german and is incomprehensible goop. But that was far further then 400 years ago.
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Well, AI agrees with me anyway:/
No, a modern English speaker would likely not be able to fully understand English spoken 400 years ago, as the language would be considered “Old English” and would have significantly different vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation compared to modern English; while you might grasp a few familiar words, most of the conversation would be difficult to comprehend.
Edit: at least the robots are my friends:)
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What AI did you use? Cuz that’s some hella misinfo you got there. 400 years ago. That was just after the time of Shakespear who is often accredited with standardizing what we now call modern english. So it’d be several decades after the birth of modern english.
Old english was well over a thousand years ago.
The raw language between 1625 and 2025 is identical. But there could be complications with idioms/references/modern words (like computer or electricity), and pronunciation would be somewhat different but would sound like a different accent more thena different language.
Edit: Out of curiosity I decided to ask AI as well and this was my response I got:
if a modern american traveled to new england 400 years in the past be able to effectively communicate with the pilgrams/european settlers?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
A modern American traveling back to New England 400 years ago (around the early 1620s) would likely be able to communicate with the Pilgrims and European settlers, but there would be notable challenges due to differences in language, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Similarities
- English as the Shared Language:
- The Pilgrims spoke Early Modern English, which is a precursor to the English spoken today. This was the same era as Shakespeare, so the basic structure and many words would be familiar.
- Core grammar and much of the vocabulary would overlap, enabling basic communication.
2. Differences
- Pronunciation:
- The accent of Early Modern English was significantly different from any modern American or British accent. For example:
- The “r” sound was pronounced more strongly, closer to modern American English than British Received Pronunciation.
- Some vowels sounded different; for instance, words like “time” might have been pronounced more like “teem.”
- Vocabulary:
- Many modern words and phrases didn’t exist in the 1620s, especially those related to technology, modern culture, or science. For example:
- Words like “electricity,” “computer,” or “internet” would mean nothing to them.
- Conversely, the Pilgrims might use words or expressions that have fallen out of use or changed meaning.
- Idioms and Expressions:
- Modern slang, idioms, and figures of speech would be incomprehensible to the Pilgrims, and vice versa.
- Cultural References:
- The Pilgrims’ worldview was shaped by their Puritan religious beliefs, the Bible, and their understanding of 17th-century Europe. A modern American’s cultural frame of reference would seem alien to them.
3. Writing and Reading
- Spelling Variations:
- Spelling was not standardized in the 17th century. For example, the same word might be spelled differently by different people.
- Modern Americans might struggle to read 17th-century handwritten texts.
- Punctuation and Grammar:
- Sentences were often longer and more complex, with different rules for punctuation.
4. Practical Communication
- Basic Conversations:
- A modern American could likely manage simple conversations (e.g., “Where is the food?” or “I need help”) with some effort.
- Misunderstandings:
- Abstract or technical discussions would likely result in confusion due to differences in vocabulary and conceptual frameworks.
Conclusion
While communication would be possible on a basic level, it would require patience, careful explanation, and adaptation from both sides. A modern American might be understood more easily than they would understand the Pilgrims, as contemporary English speakers are exposed to older forms of English through literature, history, and media.
All that being said I would avoid using AI as a sole source for information as it can easily become a garbage in garbage out scenario. It scours the internet for data and there is a lot of misinfo on the internet. It has to then be curated and not every single data has been curated and some of it could’ve been missed or messed up on by flawed humans. It’s always good to have multiple sources when possible even when the original source is human.
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Let the bots figure it out. I don’t have any plans on time travel:) I thought the topic was interesting so commented.
I would likely die to a disease for which I don’t have a vaccination before I could manage to convince any one anyways.
easy, show em my teeth.
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“I use to do a LOT of Ren Fairs. I know quite a lot of old English speech. Any one who has been to these types of Fairs know what of I speak.”
/grin
/giggle
With no internet I dunno how long I’d survive anyway.
No YouTube? Prolly not long.