Academic Paper |
|
|
|
|
| Title: | Shape-shifting, sound-change and the genesis of prodigal writing systems |
| Author: | Margaret Laing |
| Institution: | University of Edinburgh |
| Author: | Roger Lass |
| Email: | click here to access email |
| Institution: | University of Cape Town |
| Linguistic Field: | Writing Systems |
| Subject Language: |
English, Middle
|
| Abstract: | In a series of articles we have looked at individual early Middle English writing systems and explored aspects of multivocal sound/symbol and symbol/sound relationships. This article combines previous observations with new material, and provides insights into the genesis of these relations and how they may interconnect. Since many early Middle English texts survive as copies, not originals, they may give clues to the orthographic systems of their exemplars too. We investigate the ‘extensibility’ of Litteral and Potestatic Substitution Sets. Writing systems may be economical or prodigal. The ‘ideal’ economical system would map into a broad phonetic or a phonemic transcription: that is, one ‘sound’, one symbol. In early Middle English there is no one standard written norm, so there is potentially less restraint on diversity than in standard systems. Further extensibility is built into the system. We show that much of what tends to be dismissed as ‘scribal error’ rather represents writing praxis no longer familiar to us – flexible matrices of substitution and variation. |
|
|
|
|
This article appears in English Language and Linguistics Vol. 13, Issue 1, which you can read on Cambridge's site or on LINGUIST . |
|
|
|
|
Back
Add a new paper Return to Academic Papers main page Return to Directory of Linguists main page |
|
|
About LINGUIST
|
Contact Us
|
Report Broken Link
While the LINGUIST List makes every effort to ensure the linguistic relevance of sites listed on its pages, it cannot vouch for their contents. |
|
Business Plan,Business Ideas,Advanced Energy,High Technology,Healthy Diets,Healthy Foods,Games Guides,Games Cheats,Travel Guides,Travel Tips,Study Skills,Study Tips,Health Tips,Health Guides,Jewelry Stores,Jewellery UK Online,Digital Camera Reviews,Digital Camera Buying Guide,Replica Handbags,Replica Bags,Jackets on Sale,Jackets Clearance,WoW Gold,Cheap WoW Gold,Buy WoW Gold,WOW Gold,Swtor Credits