<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>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. <italic>island</italic>, containing mute &lt;s> taken from Lat. <italic>insula</italic> or Eng. <italic>anchor</italic> ‘mooring device’ (&lt; Fr. <italic>ancre</italic>), with non-etymological &lt;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 14<sup>th</sup> 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 <italic>Middle English Dictionary</italic> (2001) and <italic>Oxford English Dictionary</italic> (2009).</p></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).

On early pseudo-learned orthographic forms: A contribution to the history of English spelling and pronunciation

Studia Anglica Posnaniensia

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  taken from Lat. insula or Eng. anchor ‘mooring device’ (. 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).

The history of English contains numerous examples of "improved" spellings. English scribes frequently modified spelling to make English words and some popular...

On early pseudo-learned orthographic forms: A contribution to the history of English spelling and pronunciation

Published Online: Feb 29, 2012

Page range: 25 - 39

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10121-010-0010-9

This content is open access.