ME Spelling Changes

The system of letters inherited from OE was modified in the course of time and enriched by foreign traditions.

In ME the runic letters passed out of use:

THORN; (thorn) and D (eth) were replaced by the digraph th

THORN; (wynn) was replaced by “double u” w

X (xsh) was no longer used and was replaced by e, ea, e

Z (yogh) was replaced by g (OE Z od →ME god)

After 1300 Z representing /j/ was gradually replaced by y when Z represented a velar or a palatal spirant it was replaced by gh: e.g. right, brought.

Sometimes h alone replaced Z as in riht, briht, brouht.

Many innovations in ME spelling testify to the influence of French. The digraphs ou, ie and ch which occurred in many French borrowings were adopted to indicate sounds [H], [e:] and [C].

E.g. ME double ['dVblq]

out [Ht]

chief [Ce:f]

child [CJltd]

much [mVC]

The letters “j”, “k”, “v”, “q” were probably first used in imitation of French manuscripts. The use of “g” and “c” which has survived today goes back to French. These letters stood for [G] and [s] before front vowels and for [g], [k] before back.

Other changes cannot be traced directly to French influence. There was a tendency to wider use if digraphs:

Ÿ sh (ssh, sch) to indicate [S]

ME ship – OE scip

Ÿ dg [G]

ME edge [eGq]

Ÿ wh replaced OE hw

ME what [hwQt] – OE hwxt

Long sounds were shown by double letters.

e.g. ME book [bLk]

Long [e:] could be indicated by ie and ee

o was used not only for [o] but also to indicate short [V] alongside with the letter u. Thus OE munuc > ME monk [mVNk].

The letter y was used as an equivalent of i and it was preferred when i could be confused with the surrounding letters m, n and others.

w was interchangeable with u in the digraphs ou, au.

e.g. ME doun, down [dHn]

and w was preferred in final position:

ME how [hH]

now [nH]

Peculiarities of Middle English Spelling

Letters indicating vowels	Letters indicating consonants
Single letters
a /a/ y, as well as i /i/ o /o/ or /u/	c /s/ or /k/ f /f/ g /G/ or /g/ j /G/ k /k/ s /s/ or /z/ v (often spelt as u) /v/ y /j/
Digraphs
ee /e:/ or /F:/ ie /e:/ oo /o:/ or /L/ ou /H/ or /ou/ ow /H/ or /ou/	ch, tch /C/ dg /G/ gh /х/ or /х'/ qu /kw/ th /T/ or /D/ sh, sch, ssh /S/ wh /hw/

The opening lines of the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales by G.Chaucer (late 14-th c.)

(1) Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote

/хwan 'Tat ap'rillq 'wiT his 'SHrqs 'so:tq/

(2) the droghte of March hath perced to the roote,

/Tq 'druхt of 'martS haT 'persqd 'to: Tq 'ro:tq/

(3) And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

/and 'ba:Dqd 'evri 'vein in 'switS li'kHr/

(4) Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

/of 'хwitS ver'tjH en'Gendrqd 'is Tq 'flHr/

When April with his sweet showers

The draught of March has pierced to the root,

And bathed every vein in such liquor,

Of which (whose) virtue (power) engendered is the flower;

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