History Main / PeriodPieceModernLanguage

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlueFamilyShatters'': In "Hard Boiled", West dreams about himself and the others in a FilmNoir story. While most of the characters use antiquated linguistics to match the setting, Tiny leans more into ValleyGirl-style speech.
-->'''Tiny:''' Like, I need your help, detective. [...] Whatever, Bruce. [...] Ew, I don't have it!
[[/folder]]

* Parodied in a sketch on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', in which a caveman crime scene investigator (whose most advanced technology is a rock) describes something as "a double-edged sword", then states that he has no idea what that phrase actually means.

Period Piece, Modern Language is often an indication that the work indulges in AnachronismStew or a PurelyAestheticEra, and may be paired with AnachronisticSoundtrack (especially in musical examples). See also OrphanedEtymology (where the period characters use idiomatic language based on things from a more recent time period), NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent (where the accents are out-of-place, not necessarily the speech patterns), TranslationConvention (where they may be speaking some foreign or ancient language, but it's translated into modern English for the audience's benefit), SophisticatedAsHell (contrasting poshness and vulgarity in dialogue), and ArtisticLicenseLinguistics.

Period Piece, Modern Language is often an indication that the work indulges in AnachronismStew or a PurelyAestheticEra, and may be paired with AnachronisticSoundtrack (especially in musical examples). See also NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent (where the accents are out-of-place, not necessarily the speech patterns), TranslationConvention (where they may be speaking some foreign or ancient language, but it's translated into modern English for the audience's benefit), OrphanedEtymology (where the period characters use idiomatic language based on things from a more recent time period), SophisticatedAsHell (contrasting poshness and vulgarity in dialogue), and ArtisticLicenseLinguistics.

Period Piece, Modern Language is often an indication that the work indulges in AnachronismStew or a PurelyAestheticEra, and may be paired with AnachronisticSoundtrack (especially in musical examples). See also NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent (where the accents are out-of-place, not necessarily the speech patterns), TranslationConvention (where they may be speaking some foreign or ancient language, but it's translated into modern English for the audience's benefit), SophisticatedAsHell (contrasting poshness and vulgarity in dialogue), and ArtisticLicenseLinguistics.

Of note is that most period works are at least ''a little'' anachronistic in their language -- a work faithful to the real English of the Middle Ages, for example, would be nigh-intelligible to a modern viewer. However, '''this trope is specifically about using informal 20th- and 21st-century language to create an obvious dissonance''': the language should visibly clash with the production to count.

->''"They said that back then? They said '[[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe thy houth]]' and everything, but they still say 'vouch'? And on the seventh day, God said... 'Bet'."'''

* Parodied in a sketch on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', in which a caveman crime scene investigator (whose most advanced technology is a rock) describes something as "a double-edged sword", then states that he has no idea what that phrase actually means.

* ''Series/Merlin2008'': PlayedForLaughs in the [[Series/ChildrenInNeed 2009 Children in Need]] NegativeContinuity special. The medieval Camelot of Myth/ArthurianLegend is affected by a dark magical spell infecting the kingdom with... [[AnachronismStew modern conveniences]]. This results in the medieval characters peppering their speech with modern terms:
-->'''Uther:''' ''(picks up cell phone)'' Yes? Uther Pendragon. ''(pause)'' You were ''CC'ed'' on the ''email!''

* ''WebVideo/{{Broceliande}}'' being fan videos based on ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'', it follows the same pattern of using very modern French in an Myth/ArthurianLegend setting.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': A brief example happens in "[[Recap/DuckTales2017S2E9TheOutlawScroogeMcDuck The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck]]". It's a WholeEpisodeFlashback where Scrooge is telling Louie about his exploits in the Old West. At one point, Louie asks Scrooge to cut down on the "old prospector slang", so he can understand what's going on better. However, Scrooge's new dialogue falls squarely under TotallyRadical and Louie concedes that actually sounds worse so he lets Scrooge go back to the previous dialogue.

-->'''Moe:''' (about Homer, in a retelling of the Mayflower voyage) Man! That guy sends my humors from sanguine to bilious! ''(To audience)'' That's how we talk. Weird, huh? Time to think of a plan most sneaky.

Most {{period piece}}s and HistoricalFiction make at least a surface effort at period-appropriate languages -- that's how we get YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe, FloweryElizabethanEnglish, and AntiquatedLinguistics. These works don't even bother, and utilize language patterns that were developed well after their settings. We don't mean using words that won't be invented for five years -- we mean that the manners of speaking in these works are off by ''centuries'', specifically by using casual modern speech in a historical work where you would expect them to speak formally.

Of note is that most period works are at least ''a little'' anachronistic in their language -- a work faithful to the real English of the Middle Ages, for example, would be nigh-intelligible to a modern viewer. However, '''this trope is specifically about using informal 20th and 21st century language to create an obvious dissonance''': the language should visibly clash with the production to count.

* ''Fanfic/NotTheIntendedUseZantetsukenReverse'': In ''A Game of Cat and Cat'', Soma thinks to himself that a medieval movie where all the characters speak with modern accents (say Texan) instead of YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe [[ConversedTrope would sound very jarring]]. [[BrickJoke A few chapters later]], Leon, a ghost who was a Franc Crusader, reveals that he speaks modern English with an Texan accent.

'''Black Knight:''' Oh... had enough, eh?\\
'''Arthur:''' ''[beat]'' Look you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!

* ''Film/{{Rosaline}}'': Renaissance Italy nobleman Romeo begins the film with a famous line from [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet the original Shakespearean English]]: "Forswear it, sight, I never saw true beauty until this night." Rosaline immediately questions why he's talking like that, setting the tone of the film. Characters speak in 21st century slang in [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent their natural British or American accents]], and the CampGay Paris even speaks in modern vocal fry.
* Inverted in ''Film/WilliamShakespearesRomeoAndJuliet''. The film is set in the [=1990s=], but keeps [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet the original play]]'s dialogue down to the Elizabethan dialect, with only a few minor changes.

* ''Series/{{Dickinson}}'' establishes its irreverence in the first scene, where supposedly 19th century American gentlewoman Emily rages, "This is such bullshit." when asked to do a chore her brother is exempted from for being male. The rest of the show follows 21st century speech patterns. For example, their discussion on ''Literature/BleakHouse'''s ongoing plot developments[[note]]It was serialized from 1852-1853[[/note]] would not be out of place in a modern forum.

* ''Series/{{Norsemen}}'' looks like a grim show about Vikings...until hear see 21st century slang and issues come out of the characters' mouths. They talk about and react as modern people would to Viking lifestyle, such as defending horned helmets as a fashion choice, complaining that a VikingFuneral is really difficult to do in the cold, and rallying the troops by telling them confidence is sexy.
* ''Series/OurFlagMeansDeath'' is a historical comedy set during UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy. While you have the occasional period-appropriate character and line of dialogue, most of the crew speak like 21st century millennials, and Spanish Jackie speaks like a SassyBlackWoman.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

--> '''Taggart:''' ''(finds his henchmen dancing and singing)'' What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is a-goin' on here?!

-->'''Arthur:''' You are indeed brave, sir knight, but the fight is mine.
-->'''Black Knight:''' Oh... had enough, eh?
-->'''Arthur:''' (beat) Look you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!

* ''Film/Persuasion2022'' leaves some of the Regency England language of [[Literature/{{Persuasion}} its source material]] intact, but Anne will occasionally spice it up with modern English terminology ("playlist", "We're worse than friends, we're exes".)
* As part of its AnachronismStew, the parody ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'' (ostensibly set during UsefulNotes/TheCrusades) mixes modern speech with the occasional older English line with the spoonerisms of the Sherriff of Rottingham. This is most obvious with [[BlackVikings Ahchoo]], who speaks like a modern black man.
-->'''Robin Hood:''' Fare thee well. I'll see thee upon my return.
-->'''Ahchoo:''' All right, man. Peace, bro.

-->'''Lavinia''': I'm honestly gonna die if we don't find out who Esther's mother is soon.
-->'''Austin:''' It's obviously Lady Dedlock.
-->'''Lavinia:''' Austin! No spoilers!

-->'''Oluwande:''' What does a viceroy do?
-->'''Frenchie:''' Whatever the fuck he wants, babe.

[[folder:Web Video]]
* Often zig-zagged in ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory''; for example, while "Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet vs Bonnie And Clyde" still shows Romeo using mostly Shakespearean English, Juliet leans more into modern slang, freely using words and phrases like "ass-ripping" and "put these bitches on blast!" Generally, ERB seems to alternate between somewhat-accurate speech and modern slang based on [[RuleOfCool which fits the rhythm of the rap battle better]] and [[RuleOfFunny which one sounds funnier.]]

* A German variation in the series ''Series/Barbarians'': where antiquity-era Germanic barbarians speak in modern-day German whereas Ancient Romans speak in Latin.