On early pseudo-learned orthographic forms: A contribution to the history of English spelling and pronunciation
Loading...
Date
2010
Authors
Advisor
Editor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Adam Mickiewicz University
Title alternative
Abstract
The history of English contains numerous examples of “improved” spellings. English scribes
frequently modified spelling to make English words and some popular borrowings look like
words of Latin or Greek origin. The typical examples are Eng. island, containing mute <s> taken
from Lat. insula or Eng. anchor ‘mooring device’ (< Fr. ancre), with non-etymological <h>.
Although such “reformed spellings” became particularly fashionable during the Renaissance,
when the influence of the classical languages was at its peak, “classicised” spellings are also
found earlier, e.g. in texts from the 14th century. In the present contribution which concentrates on
identifying such earliest influences on spellings in Middle English attention is focussed on the
regional distribution of reformed spellings, with a sociolinguistic focus on the type of the text.
The data for the study come from standard sources like the Middle English Dictionary (2001) and
Oxford English Dictionary (2009).
Description
Sponsor
Keywords
Citation
Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, vol. 46.4 (2010), pp. 25-39
Seria
ISBN
ISSN
0081-6272