The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-12-13
CHANGES IN SPELLING.
Many of Them Seem to Come About Acc
 denfallY.

dentally.
 Much is said and written about the desirability of reform in the spelling of words, but few persons are aware of the great though gradual changeJ which have been made already. "Uto- pia, by Sir Thomas More, was origi- nally printed in Latin in 1915, and was
 translated into Englyshe by Raphe Robynson, Citizen and Goldsmythe of London" and was imprinted at Lon- don by Abraham Wele, dwelling in PauPs churchyarde at the Lambe, Anno, 1851" A second English edition was published in 1856, and the writer has before him a fac simile copy of this second edition, and in this we can see how the English language was spelled 1Ss years ago. Opening the book at haphazard we find on page 47 337 words, of which III are of different spelling to that of the present time, On page 63 there are 352 words, of which 123 are different, and on page 75 there are 355 words, and of these 132 are different. Looking to see what these differences are, we find that there is no j, but i is used instead of it, as periurie (perjury), judgment Gudg- ment), iorney (journey.) Then we see that y is very often used instead of i, as bynge (being), standynge, hys, wyse. Yet is also largely used the same as it is now; as side, him, this. Sometimes it takes the place of y, as tirannye; and we also find y used instead of tn, as ye for the and vat for that. And then ie often takes the place of y at the end of words, as perfectlie, dewtie, citie.
 Next we find u instead of V, as diners Tor divers, soeuer for soever, seruice for service, and then, at the commence ment of words, we have instead of u, as vse for use, vnto for unto and vnder for under. It may be borne in mind that in the familiar letter W we see that was the original form of the letter Il. But in this book we do not find taking the place of u in the mid- die of words, and we often find in its present form at the beginning of words, as in virtues, vices and victory. Many words which now end in Il have in this book only single l, as al, ful and smal. On the other hand, there are many words with Il where we now have only a single l, as several for several, ap- parell, natural. Many words which we spell with three letters have five in this book, as budde, farre and hydde for hid. We see also that is often placed at the end of words in which we now consider it unnecessary, as in fishe, herbe, meate. On the contrary, it is often left off from words in which we now use it, as els, ther, privat.
 In numerous words in which we now double the consonant this book has only single one, as maner, nedle, sorrow. Single O is used in such words as blodshed, roted and vol. while % is found in doc, gootten and woorke. We notice also that p follows in such words as comdempned and solempne. We also find many compound words which are now obsolete; for instance, as- muche, as-wel and shall-be, while many words which we compound are in this book found separate, as in deed, an other, where as. We also note that au is frequently placed where we are now satisfied with a; for instance, perchaunce and pleasaunt. It may be further noted that in this book there is no uniformity in the spelling, as the same words are spelled in two or three different ways, as bi- cause, bycause and because; beutie, bewtie and bewtye; dewtie and dewty; foles and fooles; helth, healthe and health; hollye and holly; yf and if; lytle and litle; myles and miles; pryde and pride; syl1nes, syc1nes and sick ness; whyche and whiche; wyffe and wife; wyll and will. The name of the printer is in two places Wele and in a third place Weale.-Boston Transcript. |