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Doriathrin in the Third Age
So Doriathrin sounded old-fashioned even in the First Age, which makes sense since Elvish language already changes very slowly and Doriath was comparatively isolated relative to other Elvish settlements (and was already known to have preserved some linguistic characteristics that had become archaic in other dialects). It was also destroyed, which largely prevented much further development of the language owing to the people’s more or less extinction.
Furthermore, since Oropher and Thranduil’s later kingdom was made up of a far larger proportion of Silvan to Iathrim, I tend to think they adapted their speech to that of the Silvan, whether speaking Silvan or adjusting their Sindarin to match with the speaking patterns and idiosyncrasies of the Silvan.
However, in the rare moment Thranduil speaks directly to another former Doriathrim without any one else present in the conversation, he will revert to what he grew up speaking and they will twitter away like they just walked out of Chaucer.
#legolas crying: dad...what are you saying!!! Furthermore, since Oropher and Thranduil’s later kingdom was made up of a far larger proportion of Silvan to Iathrim, I tend to think they adapted their speech to that of the Silvan, whether speaking Silvan or adjusting their Sindarin to match with the speaking patterns and idiosyncrasies of the Silvan.
However, in the rare moment Thranduil speaks directly to another former Doriathrim without any one else present in the conversation, he will revert to what he grew up speaking and they will twitter away like they just walked out of Chaucer.
he sounds very convincingly like he was born and raised in Mirkwood until you let him talk to another Doriathrim
as to whether he'd teach Legolas Doriathrin...I don't know#I tend to think not#it wouldn't really be useful to Legolas and it would require revisiting the memories of Doriath generally#which is very painful and something I think Thranduil probably avoids#also I'm not sure Legolas would have an interest in learning it XD#he prefers learning woodland survival skills to a fourth language
thranduil and oropher would talk in it though when niwe wasn't part of the conversation
it's remarked that Turin carries a Doriathrin accent when he talks which is notably anachronistic even during his lifetime so I have to imagine Doriathrin sounds positively ARCHAIC to people of the Third Age. Like if they're well-educated they can understand most of it, probably, but if you're not very familiar with Sindarin generally it sounds like gibberish with a few proto-Sindarin words thrown in.