[shavian] Rules for simpler spelling

[stbetta]

Origin of the Spelling Reform Movement  How far back does the interest in spelling reform go? www.foolswisdom.com/~sbett/rules_for_simpler_spelling.htm Efforts to simplify and standardize European orthographies began shortly after Gutenberg found an efficient way to print books in 1450.  Greek and Latin had been standardized but few of the regional languages had.  Around 1490, Nabrija, a Spanish University professor, came up with a way to represent the dialect of the Spanish court [similar to the dialect spoken around Toledo].  This dialect and associated writing system was called Castilian.  Unlike his counterparts in England, Nabrija selected a dialect and invented the simplest way he could think of to represent it.  This involved reducing the number of vowels from ten to five.  Nabrija published not an essay but both a Dictionary and Grammar for Castilian.  Nabrija's orthography was not standardized or government sanctioned for another 200 years but because it was generally available, writers and printers who wanted to write in the vernacular and reach an audience in Spain used it.  An English writer had no such resource. Had something similar been available in England, much of the chaos we see today would have been avoided. Deliberate efforts to simplify English spelling began as early as 1554. Every changed spelling now in general use - whether for better, as FISH from fysshe, DOG from dogge, , or for worse, as RHYME from rime, DELIGHT from delite -- was once the overt act of a single writer, who was imitated at first by a small minority.  Spelling reform is not new; it is in accord with the historical development of the language. Organized by Filolgists 1876 The American Philological Association in 1875 started the present movement to improve our spelling resulting in the formation of the Spelling Reform Association [SRA] in 1876.  and joind with the Philological Society (London) in making specific recommendations in 1883.  Among those taking prominent part in the movement were F.J. Child, Charles Darwin, A.J. Ellis, F.J. Furnivall, James Hadley, T.R. Lounsbury, John Lubbock, F.A. March, J.A.H. Murray, Isaac Pitman, W.W. Skeat, Henry Sweet, Alfred Tennyson, J.H. Trumbull, and W.D. Whitney.  All of these luminaries can be found in Who's Who or the Encyclopedia. SSB 1906 The U.S. Simplified Spelling Board (SSB) was founded in 1906 and the U.K. Simplified Spelling Society in 1908 by representative members of these and other leading educational organizations including the editors of the Century, Standard, Webster's and Oxford English dictionaries, eminent educators, authors, scientists men of affairs, and such filologie experts as Henry Bradley, F.J. Furnivall, C.H. Grandgent, George Hempl, T.R. Lounsbury, F.A. March, Murray, Scott, Skeat, and Calvin Thomas. SB: Bradley, an editor of the OED after the death of Murray, attended meetings but disagreed with the proposals.  He went on to write the best critique of spelling reform. General Aim The purpose of the movement is to hasen the process of rational orthographic change and gide it in the direction of simplicity and economy, and gradually to substitute for our present caotic spelling, which is neither consistent nor etimologic, a simpler and more regular spelling based on existing rules and analogies. Early Progress The National Education Association approved the movement in 1898 and adopted 12 simpler spellings for immediate sue: tho, altho, thru, thruout, thoro, thorofare, catalog, decalog, demagog, pedagog, program, prolog.  In 1916, it voted to use t in the past tenses of verbs ending in -ed and pronounced t, e.g. dropt. for more go to www.foolswisdom.com/~sbett/rules_for_simpler_spelling.htm  comments welcomed Yahoo! Groups Sponsor Get unlimited calls to U.S./Canada Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shavian/   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.