Shape-shifting, sound-change and the genesis of prodigal writing systems

摘要: In a series of articles we have looked at individual early Middle English writing systems and explored aspects multivocal sound/symbol symbol/sound relationships. This article combines previous observations with new material, provides insights into the genesis these relations how they may interconnect. Since many texts survive as copies, not originals, give clues to orthographic their exemplars too. We investigate ‘extensibility’ Litteral Potestatic Substitution Sets. Writing be economical or prodigal. The ‘ideal’ system would map broad phonetic phonemic transcription: that is, one ‘sound’, symbol. there is no standard written norm, so potentially less restraint on diversity than in systems. Further extensibility built system. show much what tends dismissed ‘scribal error’ rather represents praxis longer familiar us – flexible matrices substitution variation.