My research indicates that while the main canon was 12th century, Arthur and Merlin are SUPPOSED to be from the 6th century, so they would have actually spoken Old English, which is confusingly enough a Germanic language, and the language Beowulf is written in.
HOWEVER as you point out, the earliest extant examples of the Arthurian myth were ancient Welsh; though those earliest sources are still something like 10th or 11th century (as far as I can tell). Arthur as we know him was written by Geoffery of Monmoth, whose Historia Regum Brittanae is both dull as cardboard and written in Latin. However, that language would have been Middle English (eg, the same language Chaucer would have spoken). It's in Geoffery's work that Merlin first shows up in the tradition.
The Arthur we know best was created by Malory in his book Morte d'Arthur, which I think was written in both Middle French and a very early form of Modern English.
*deep breath*
SO. Ultimately it's up to you; the most "historically" accurate thing would be Old English or Welsh; the most accurate to the canon would be either Middle English or Middle French.
...
adfjkljdf sorry to get all up in your post with british literature and linguistics I'll just go hide now >>;
no subject
My research indicates that while the main canon was 12th century, Arthur and Merlin are SUPPOSED to be from the 6th century, so they would have actually spoken Old English, which is confusingly enough a Germanic language, and the language Beowulf is written in.
HOWEVER as you point out, the earliest extant examples of the Arthurian myth were ancient Welsh; though those earliest sources are still something like 10th or 11th century (as far as I can tell). Arthur as we know him was written by Geoffery of Monmoth, whose Historia Regum Brittanae is both dull as cardboard and written in Latin. However, that language would have been Middle English (eg, the same language Chaucer would have spoken). It's in Geoffery's work that Merlin first shows up in the tradition.
The Arthur we know best was created by Malory in his book Morte d'Arthur, which I think was written in both Middle French and a very early form of Modern English.
*deep breath*
SO. Ultimately it's up to you; the most "historically" accurate thing would be Old English or Welsh; the most accurate to the canon would be either Middle English or Middle French.
...
adfjkljdf sorry to get all up in your post with british literature and linguistics I'll just go hide now >>;