> compared to something like middle english, which modern readers cannot read at all, you can see that the chinese language hasn't changed all that much
A Millere was there / dwellyng many a day
As any Pecok / he was proud and gay
Pipe he coude and fisshe / and nettes bete
And trne cuppes / & wel wrestel and shete
Ay by his belt / he bar a long panade
And of a swerd / ful trenchaūt was the blade
Middle English is much more similar to modern English than Classical Chinese is to modern Chinese (of any variety), for the obvious reason that Middle English is separated from modern English by less than half the period separating Classical Chinese from modern Chinese.
This is nonsense. Here's some middle english (taken from https://www.chaucermss.org/?manuscript=Dd&tale=GP&version=si... ):
Middle English is much more similar to modern English than Classical Chinese is to modern Chinese (of any variety), for the obvious reason that Middle English is separated from modern English by less than half the period separating Classical Chinese from modern Chinese.