Spelling Timeline

This is Hurlebatte's attempt at following the evolution of English spelling. Do not take it as authoritative or fully accurate.

Timeline
400-700

The English runic alphabet consists of at least the following: ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳᚷᚹᚻᚾᛁᛡᛇᛈᛉᛋᛏᛒᛖᛗᛚᛝᛞᛟᚪᚫ

700-1066

The English runic alphabet consists of the following: ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳᚷᚹᚻᚾᛁᛡᛇᛈᛉᛋᛏᛒᛖᛗᛚᛝᛞᛟᚪᚫᚣᛠ(ᛣᚸ)


 * Digraphs include: ⟨ᛋᚳ⟩ for /ʃ/, ⟨ᚷᚷ⟩ for ~/dʒ/.


 * ᛁ can be inserted after ᚷ to ensure it is read as /j/ and not /g/. This can be seen on the Franks Casket. Users of the Old English Latin alphabet used a similar technique involving ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩ inserted after ⟨g⟩.

The English Latin alphabet consists of the following: Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Uu Xx Yy Þþ Ðð Ƿƿ Ææ.


 * Digraphs include: ⟨cg⟩, ⟨gc⟩, and ⟨gg⟩ for ~[dʒ]; ⟨sc⟩ for /ʃ/; ⟨ea⟩ for /æɑ/; ⟨th⟩ for /θ/; ⟨hƿ⟩ or ⟨hu⟩ for /ʍ/; ⟨ch⟩ for /x/.
 * A small percentage of surviving texts use ⟨th⟩ instead of ⟨þ⟩ for /θ/ and ⟨u⟩ instead of ⟨ƿ⟩ for /w/.
 * ⟨k⟩ sometimes shows up to fight ambiguity between /tʃ/ and /k/.
 * ⟨þ⟩ and ⟨ð⟩ are used interchangeably, though there seems to have been a slight preference for using ⟨þ⟩ initially and ⟨ð⟩ elsewhere. On folio 8v of Cotton Titus D 18, both ⟨þ⟩ and ⟨ð⟩ are named thorn, implying that some Englishmen may have seen them as two versions of the same letter.
 * ⟨z⟩ and ⟨q⟩ are very rare. ⟨z⟩ can sometimes be found in foreign names like Zenodotus, as in Ashmole 328.
 * ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩ are occasionally inserted after ⟨c⟩ and ⟨g⟩ when writers want to make it clear their values are /tʃ/ and /j/ and not /k/ and /g/. For example, giul can be found as a spelling for /jul/ (Yule).

1066-1199

The Norman Invasion occurs, French begins to influence English orthography.


 * In the Peterborough Chronicle a switch in handwriting from Insular to Carolingian happens on folio 88v.


 * ⟨gg⟩ becomes more popular than ⟨cg⟩.


 * The Ormulum uses: ⟨ch⟩ for /tʃ/, ⟨sk⟩ for /sk/; ⟨sh⟩ for /ʃ/; ⟨ƿh⟩ for /ʍ/; Carolingian ⟨g⟩ for /g/; ⟨ȝh⟩ for [ɣ]; ⟨ȝȝ⟩ for /dʒ/.


 * The Carolingian style of writing ⟨g⟩ is borrowed from France. The old Insular ⟨g⟩ becomes the new letter ⟨ȝ⟩, called yough (note that this development may have taken some time, and perhaps there was a period when ⟨ȝ⟩ and ⟨g⟩ were considered variants of the same letter). ⟨ȝ⟩ no longer stands for /g/, as this job now belongs to the Carolingian ⟨g⟩.


 * By now /y/ has merged into /i/. This leads to ⟨y⟩ being used interchangeably with ⟨i⟩. It seems that in a few cases surviving instances of /y/ get respelled as ⟨u⟩ in the French manner, resulting in variant spellings like burthen and brugge as opposed to birthen and brigge.


 * ⟨u⟩ begins showing up with the value of /v/ shortly after 1066, as on folio 116v of Cotton Tiberius A 13.


 * ⟨hr⟩ struggles to survive this period, usually becoming ⟨r⟩.


 * ⟨hl⟩ often becomes ⟨l⟩.

1200s

By this century the Normans have been replaced on the throne by the Angevins. French influence continues, though not necessarily Norman French.


 * /ʃ/ is spelled ⟨sc⟩, ⟨sch⟩, ⟨sh⟩, ⟨ss⟩, ⟨s⟩.


 * ⟨ou⟩ is borrowed from French and becomes a very popular spelling for /uː/, which beforehand was written ⟨u⟩, ⟨ue⟩, and ⟨uCe⟩.


 * ⟨ue⟩ and ⟨uCe⟩ are repurposed to stand for French /y/. This French /y/ seems to have been substituted by Englishmen for something along the lines of [ɛu], a native English diphthong. This French /y/ and the native [ɛu] would both eventually be pronounced as /ju/. Because the borrowed French /y/ was realised as something like [ɛu], native English words with [ɛu] would sometimes be respelled with ⟨ue⟩ or ⟨uCe⟩, which is why clue is not spelled clew today.


 * ⟨ð⟩ falls out of wide use by the end of the century.


 * The distinction between [x] and [ɣ] either collapses or people stop caring. [x] had usually been written ⟨h⟩ (more rarely ⟨ch⟩), and [ɣ] had usually been written ⟨ȝ⟩, but ⟨ȝ⟩ ends up being the normal way of writing both. Eventually ⟨ȝh⟩ becomes popular, perhaps under influence of French or French-linked digraphs like ⟨ch⟩ and ⟨sh⟩.


 * ⟨æ⟩ seems to drop out of use by the end of this century. Its short value merged with ⟨a⟩, while its long value began to be written ⟨ea⟩.
 * ⟨hw⟩ has essentially been fully replaced with ⟨wh⟩ by the end of this century.


 * ⟨y⟩ for /j/ can be found in *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39).


 * ⟨hl⟩ fully dies off?


 * Vowel breaking leads to spellings like ⟨ou⟩ and ⟨ei⟩ in words like dough and height.


 * ⟨oa⟩ is rare. It appears in Cotton MS Cleopatra C VI in words like ƿoake (woke) and aroas (arose).

1300s

The English alphabet generally consists of the following: Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Xx Yy Þþ. Jj, Vv, and Ww are becoming full-fledged letters. I do not know if Ȝȝ was considered independent of Gg in this time period, though it was certainly used as though it were its own letter.


 * ⟨uCe⟩ can still be found standing for /uː/, though ⟨ou⟩ is more popular.


 * ⟨ck⟩ rises as a popular spelling.


 * ⟨gh⟩ appears, apparently modelled on ⟨ȝh⟩, and taking the job of /x/.


 * ⟨y⟩ largely replaces ⟨ȝ⟩ at the end of syllables in words like day and say.


 * Loanwords from French with initial /dʒ/ can be found written with ⟨i⟩, ⟨ih⟩, and ⟨g⟩. Eventually ⟨j⟩ would be used for /dʒ/ instead of ⟨i⟩ and ⟨ih⟩.


 * ⟨dg⟩ shows up in Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.123.


 * ⟨ð⟩ is rare and seems to die in this century.


 * ⟨wl⟩ dies off and becomes ⟨l⟩.


 * Towards the end of this century ⟨ee⟩, ⟨oo⟩, and ⟨aa⟩ start popping up a bit, standing for long vowels.

1400s


 * ⟨ee⟩, ⟨oo⟩, and ⟨aa⟩ start popping up fairly often, standing for long vowels.


 * Harley MS 682 uses ⟨gh⟩ dozens of times, but ⟨ȝ⟩ only twice. The manuscript contains no ⟨z⟩, implying that the writer did not avoid ⟨ȝ⟩ on account of it looking too much like ⟨z⟩.


 * ⟨ȝh⟩ is used in a few manuscripts for /j/, but the common use of ⟨ȝh⟩ is for /x/.


 * ⟨x⟩ is used by some writers for /ʃ/.


 * By the middle of this century, a trend wherein the non-standard letters ⟨þ⟩ and ⟨ȝ⟩ are swapped out for ⟨th⟩, ⟨gh⟩, and ⟨y⟩ has become dominant. This predates the introduction of printing presses, and perhaps was linked to the broader Renaissance. Some have argued that letter forms explain the desire to ditch ⟨þ⟩, but writers of the period clearly had many ways of telling ⟨þ⟩ from ⟨y⟩, like by giving ⟨y⟩ a dot, or by curling its tail.


 * ⟨h⟩ can still be found standing for /x/ among some writers.


 * ⟨dg⟩ becomes more popular, though ⟨gg⟩ still seems dominant.

1500s


 * By the end of this century, spellings like bed have mostly replaced spellings like bedde?


 * ⟨dg⟩ becomes more common than ⟨gg⟩?


 * ⟨oa⟩ surges in popularity, perhaps based on ⟨ea⟩. It can be found in The Great Bible from 1541, and The Bishop's Bible from 1568. I did not find it in Taverner's Bible from 1539.

1600s


 * ⟨v⟩ and ⟨w⟩ are still in the process of becoming full-fledged letters.

Attestations
Early use of ⟨u⟩ for /v/:
 * London, British Library, Cotton Charters viii. 16
 * London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius A. XIII, ff. 1-118, f. 116v (s. xi)
 * London, British Library, Add. Ch. 19796
 * a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1128 : God ælmihtig haue his milce ofer þæt wrecce stede.
 * a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1128 : . . . Dauid. ..

Use of ⟨ue⟩ and ⟨uCe⟩ before ⟨ou⟩ was borrowed:
 * c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)4/16 : Sonæ swa he ðes wateres swetnysse ifelde, þa wearð he swiðe bliðe on his mode & mid lude stefne to ðare ferde clypian ongan.
 * a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)89 : Ðo þe after him comen remden lude stefne, þus queðinde.
 * c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)314 : Þat nis noȝt soþ ich singe efne Mid fulle dreme & lude stefne.
 * a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)43/21 : Ðe gastliche hierdes..sculen..stieren ðo ðe bieð in ðare woreld, and ec..ðe bieð ute.
 * a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)122/487 : He þat is ute bi-loken, he is inne sone forȝeten.

Use of "E-I insertion":
 * c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)88/20 : Ic underȝite þæt ic wulle underȝyten & þencean, & ic wulle þæt ic underȝite & munen. (?)
 * Cd. Th. 26, 18; Gen. 408. : Onginnaþ ymb ða fyrde þencean (?)
 * Franks Casket : ᚷᛁᚢᚦᛖᚪᛋᚢ (?)

Long ⟨æ⟩ and ⟨ea⟩ merging to ⟨æ⟩ rather than ⟨ea⟩?:
 * c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5692 : Ofte heo letten grundhat læd [Otho: leod] gliden heom an heore hæfd.
 * c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7975 : Þe drake ræde for-wundede hine to dæðe.
 * c1175 Body & S.(1) (Bod 343)23 : Sone bið þin hæfet faxes bireued.
 * c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11799 : Þurrh þatt te laþe gast himm bæd All weorelldrichess ahhte.

⟨uCe⟩ for /u:/ in the 1300s.
 * Boþe fire and wind lude sal crie: 'Louerd, nov let vs go to.' - ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)125
 * Ðis wirm bitokneð þe man ðat oðer biswikeð, on stede er on stalle, stille er lude. - a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)377
 * Ac suffre al godes wille, Boþe lude and eke stille. - c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)584

Late ⟨h⟩ standing for /x/
 * a1400  Pistill of Susan 267       I am deolfolich dampned, and to deþ diht.
 * c1400  Test. Love iii. (R.)   The euen drauht of the wyer drawer, maketh the wyer to ben euen.
 * c1410 J. Walton tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Linc. Cathedral 103) 8   His lettres in-to Rome þan he sent For to destroyen al þat heresye..Theodoricus took þis wonder hyhe For he hym-self was only on of þo.
 * c1410 H. Lovelich Hist. Holy Grail liii. 96  Ȝif owre Rem with Owten kyng be Ony while, It Myhte sone thanne fallen into Exylle.
 * 1411  Rolls of Parl. III. 650/1   The sayd Robert wold nouht graunte that he had submytted hym in that mater.
 * 1413 tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage of Soul (Caxton)    (1859)      i. xix. 19   Long tyme he had hyd hym self neyhe me.
 * a1425  Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 47  Ȝe may ga þe right gate to god alle-mihti.
 * 1427–9  Rolls of Parl. IV. 364/2   A redy Bekyn, wheryn shall be light gevyng by nyht, to alle the Vesselx that [etc.].
 * c1430  Pilgr. Lyf Manhode (1869)  iii. xxxvii. 155   She..a yens me strauhte hire handes.
 * 1435  in C. L. Kingsford Chron. London 73   That no man..shulde putte fforth ne profre no golde..but yff yt helde the weyht.
 * c1440  Promptorium Parvulorum 491/2   Thyht, hool fro brekynge, not brokyn.., integer. Thyht, not hool wythe-in, solidus.
 * 1442  Ayr Burgh Court Bks. Nov.   That na wyf met mele bot thai that aht it.
 * 1447  O. Bokenham Lives of Saints     (Arun.) (1938)      10563 (MED)   Hyr tym neyhyd ny..whan she shuld deye.
 * a1450  Seven Sages (Cambr. Dd.1.17) (1845) l. 1995 (MED)  The clerkys..louhe to scorne the emperour.
 * c1450  tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Lyfe Manhode (Cambr.) (1869) 56 (MED)   The virgine marie..bar hire fader, that is..the charbuncle glisteringe that elumineth the niht of the world.
 * 1524  in Acts Parl. Scotl. (1875) XII. 41/1 Þe gold sall have comone coursse..þe Hary noble of Weiht for xlb..þe scottis demy of wecht xviijb.
 * 1531  W. Babe in F. W. Weaver Wells Wills (1890)     114   To my to dahtorrs a kow.
 * a1539  in J. C. Atkinson Cartularium Abbathiae de Rievalle (1889) 340  The Bruehouse vi kelynge throuhs of lede, ii coper vesselles.
 * 1573  G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 3  Miht had alreddi overcumd riht.
 * 1614  J. Saris Jrnl. in Voy. Japan (1900) 204   Muske, worth the wayht in Siluer.

Early ⟨dg⟩:
 * (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.123 : Maxencius was overcome atte brydge Pount Milenum.

⟨hw⟩ in the 1200s:
 * c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)69/41 : Heo wulleþ freten þin fule hold, þeo hwule heo hit fin[deþ].
 * c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)32/538 : Hwet þe cader fulðen & bearmes umbe stunde to feskin & to fostrin hit se moni earm hwile.
 * c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Bod 34)32/222 : Þeos meiden wes bicluset þe hwile i cwarterne ant i cwalmhuse.

Vowel breaking in the 1200s:
 * a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)75/32 : Clepe ðu naht ðine friend, ne ðine breðren ðarto, ne ðine kenesmen, ne ðine neihibures.
 * a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)143/13 : Alle ðe menn of ðare world waren abuten him; ne mihten hie him benemen anne þouht to þenken buten alswa he walde.