Spelling of English Consonants



1. English consonants are divided into three didactic groups: wise, weak, strong. Their rendition is ruled by three keys: Nordic, Latin, Greek.

Most consonant standards on this page were codified by the great conclave of 1587.


2. A key is a set of assignments.

3. An assignment is the allocation of an assigner to a recipient.

4. An assigner is one of the 40 consonant letters and combinations (graphemes) handed down by tradition, available for assignments:


Assigners


bdgegüjmpsitx
cddgggwknqushthy
chfgihkwngrssvz
cigguhwlnnssuwzz


The digraphs ci, cti, gi, su, ti only occur in Latin suffixes, cf. Morphology. Apart from above, no doubling of consonants occurs. An accidental encounter is no doubling: un-nerving, ac-cess, ac-cident.

5. A recipient is a culturally relevant phoneme or phoneme combination to which an assigner is assigned. Recipients are called after a name or sound that carries the consonant:


Recipients


bessexamkweepenthen
chessgenreeksreevee
denheeleethinwes
fenhwenmeesenyes
guessjessnesssheezen
gwenkenwingten[eksh]

6. The recipients correspond to the following phonemes and combinations:

/b//gz//kw//p//ð/
/tʃ//ʒ//ks//r//v/
/d//h//l//θ//w/
/f//hw//m//s//j/
/g//dʒ//n//ʃ//z/
/gw//k//ŋ//t/[/kʃ/]


English pronunciation is not uniform. The above phonemes represent a subjective perception of British received pronunciation in an educated environment in Winchester. While the list may be a didactic starting point for phonetic literacy, it does not lay any normative claim on English Pronunciation.

7. Orthography may be:

  • monoglotic when one spelling system fits all words, e.g. French.
  • polyglotic when several systems coexist, e.g. Bloo Bouk.

8. The Bloo Bouk divides English consonants into three spelling systems, called keys. Each key has its own method of assignments. The keys control words from the following families:

Keys

NordicLatinGreek
Old EnglishLatinAncient Greek
Middle EnglishOld FrenchLatin from Greek
Old NorseAnglo-Normanmodern Greek
German & DutchMiddle FrenchGreek disputed
Scandinavian languagesearly Modern Frenchunknown origin
Celtic languagesearly Romance languages

The assignments of one key do not apply to another:

  • one key may assign assigner x to guess,
  • another key might assign assigner y to it.

9. Polyvalence is the representation of one recipient by several assigners, or vice-versa. In polygraphy, one sound recipient may be represented by several assigners. In polyphony, one assigner may represent several sound recipients. In the Bloo Bouk code, polyphony does not occur in the same key.

Polygraphy may occur. An assignment is:

  • unique when only one assigner is assigned to a recipient: b to bee in the Latin key.
  • multiple when several assigners are assigned to a recipient: dd and th to then in the Nordic key.

Multiple assigners are assigned for different contexts, e.g. dd and th to then in the Nordic key:

  • th for word beginning: the, that, then, thees.
  • dd for other positions: wedder, widdin, rydd.

10. Alien words are words from the above languages loaned into English after ca. 1700, or words from other languages. Alien words keep their alien spelling if:

  • the word becomes unrecognisable, e.g.:
    French rendezvous, étude, façade > *randævu, *ætued, *fassâd;
  • the word has non-vernacular phonemes, e.g.
    French gendarme, joie de vivre, malheur, huile.

The following Modern French phonemes cannot be accommodated: /ʒ ɥ wɑ y œ ø ɛ̃ œ̃ ɑ̃ ɔ̃/.


11. Facultatively, French aliens follow the Latin key if:

  • the word remains recognisable, e.g.:
    French groupe > group > gruep;
  • current pronunciation has made the spelling unrecognisable, e.g.:
    French reveille > revàly.

A French alien is a word of French origin loaned into English after ca. 1700. The words loaned between the Norman period and the early modern age are French vernaculars.

The latest revision of Bloo Bouk spelling dates back to 1687 (and 1587 for consonants). While English has become an international language, the foreign inputs from Anglo-Norman, Latin and Greek can still be described as the most substantial.

12. Spelling is the most common writing of a word. Orthography is the art of shaping word-writing for aesthetic excellence.

A lexicographer describes a word in its most common writing. An orthographer writes a word in its best aesthetic shape.

Linguistics is the science of describing language. Orthography is not a branch of linguistics as a science, but a separate art. A linguist is not allowed to judge language aesthetically. Orthography is the aesthetic judgement of the shape of written words. An orthographer’s work is enriched by linguistic training, but linguistics alone does not make an orthographer.

Aesthetic judgement, however reasonable, is biased. It is the linguist’s duty of science to point out the orthographer’s bias. And it is the orthographer’s art to own it.

An orthographer is not concerned with spelling reform or language control. Orthography is an aesthetic pursuit, rewarded by the inherent pleasure of the exertion.

13. An orthographic requirement is a justified expectation regarding the result of an assignment. Each requirement corresponds to a function. An orthographic function is a cultural purpose attributed to an assignment as a guideline for collective acceptance. Orthography admits of several functions.

The Bloo Bouk observes the following requirements:

  • phonological: the assignment must indicate pronunciation.
  • etymological: the assignment must reflect word origin.
  • customary: the assignment must look familiar.
  • aesthetic: the assigment must please the eye.

Orthography is the art of blending orthographic functions. Exaggerated focus on only one requirement leads to degeneration:

  • phoneticism turns spelling into phonetic transcription, e.g.
    Ðë sìti jùj ëbzêrvz ðë këndìshënz ëv ðe jùjmënt, instead of
    The city jugg obzérvs the condicions ov the juggment.
  • primitivism turns spelling into an archeological museum, e.g.
    Yck habbe allewayghaes y-loubbed yeow, instead of
    Y hav oalwæs luvd u.
  • usualism turns spelling into a traditionalist cult, e.g.
    People compete to meet the priest on the heath, instead of
    Pépel compét to meet the preest on the heeth.
  • mannerism turns spelling into cosmetic aestheticism, e.g.
    I have much love to give the dove I live for, instead of
    Y hav much luv to giv the duv Y liv for.

14. The Bloo Bouk applies the following blending method:

  • phonological requirement: within a key, every assigment is allocated primarily to indicate pronunciation.
  • etymological requirement: beforehand, words are divided into etymological families, under a different key.
  • customary requirement: regardless of the key, every assignment shows a degree of historical precedence.
  • aesthetic requirement: every key allows for aesthetic licence and variety to preserve orthographic depth.

The method is put into practice through the following procedure:

  1. word isolation: assesses etymology and assigns the word to a key.
  2. recipient isolation: isolates the desired recipient.
  3. assigner isolation: identifies the assigners available for the recipient.
  4. customary assessment: assesses the assigners recurrent in the authoritative sources.
  5. aesthetic judgement: selects the most non-innovative candidates and considers variety.
  6. aesthetic probation: tests the assignment on other words in the same key.
  7. final assignation: standardises the assignment of an assigner to a recipient.

15. Customary justification clarifies how an assignment aligns with tradition. No language exists in a cultural vacuum. The price of accurate spelling cannot be arbitrary innovation.

Although every art has infinite tools of expression, the most refined works seek to make the best out of limited resources. The orthographer’s tools are the assigners. Originality is not an unlearned break with tradition but a critical dialogue, of which the orthographic outcome looks refreshed without feeling alien.


16. An assignment is justified by custom when the assigner occurs in the same word, or in a similar context, in authoritative sources.

17. Historical sources have different degrees of authority. A degree of authority informs the ability of a source to be a reference of good spelling.

18. The Bloo Bouk acknowledges four degrees of authority:

  • First degree: the assigner is recurrent in a similar lexical context in Chaucer or the Matter of England.
  • Second degree: the assigner is recurrent in Modern English, whether or not directly applied to the target recipient.
  • Third degree: the assigner occurs only occasionally in Old, Middle or Modern English, or is recurrent but in a different context.
  • Fourth degree: the assigner is loaned from a reasonable lexical context in a related language due to insufficient vernacular references.

Thus ou is a first degree assignment to brooke in fout [foot]: the assigner occurs in the same word in King Horn, even though the recipient may have been another. The familiarity we seek speaks not to the ear, but to the eye.

Chaucer and the Matter of England are more authoritative than Modern English. Middle English spellings are consistent and variety of spellings for the same word is controlled (e.g. saint, seint, saynt, seynt, but not soint, seunt, saunt, soont). Modern English assignments are usualistic and manneristic. They result from inaccurate intervention by printers, lexicographers and chancery officers. Bloo Bouk reimagines what an organic orthographic transition might have looked like without such distortion.



Table 1: Consonant recipients of the Bloo Bouk code.

Table 2: The Nordic key assigns the above assigners to the consonant recipients of the Bloo Bouk code.

Table 3: The Latin key assigns the above assigners to the consonant recipients of the Bloo Bouk code.

Table 4: The Greek key assigns the above assigners to the consonant recipients of the Bloo Bouk code.

The following tables show English consonants in the Bloo Bouk code (click the arrow). Consonants without key specification are the same in all keys, e.g. mee, ness, wing.

For the spelling of affixes, cf. Morphology. Some inconsistencies inherited from Latin and shared by Romance languages are preserved, e.g. in the rendition of jess.

To hear the sound of the English consonants, cf. Pronunciation.


A. Wise Consonants

Nasals, approximants and semivowels

mee

mayamountcalmlamb
minecommercealarmbomb
motherremarkmonismclimb
marrycommunicatemadamsome
mæamóuntcàmlam
myncomérsalarmbom
mudderremárkmonizemclym
marycomunicætmadamsum

First degree

Phonological function: PPA: may, madam, alarm > lam, bom, sum.

Etymological function: no silent relic: lamb, bomb, climb > lam, bom, clym.

Aesthetic function: graphic shallowing: (a) subtraction of silent letters: mb, me > m; (b) undoubling: mm > m.


ness

needrenewkinplenty
noiseknowlemonsrender
newsunnydemonsgrind
gnomesinninglistenunknown
needrenewkinplenty
noiznœlemonsrender
newsunydémonsgrynd
noemsininglissenun-nœn

First degree

Phonological function: PPA: need, render, kin > noe, sining.

Etymological function: no silent relic: know, knight, gnome > noe, nyt, noem.

Aesthetic function: graphic shallowing: (a) subtraction of silent letters: gn, kn > n; (b) undoubling: nn > n. note: unnoen [un/noen], unnatural [un/natural].


wing

(1) Middle, (2) Middle before guess and ken

singer1length1melancholy2finger2
bringing1English2thank2think2

Final open

songsangreadingwrong
ringclungsingingthing

Middle

sinner1lennth1mèlankoly2finger2
brinning1Inglish2thank2think2

Third degree

Phonological function: (1) proximate pattern assimilation (PPA III), from Middle and Modern English: *running, *banner, *funny > kinns, lonner, rinning; (2) cognate pattern assimilation (CPA), from Danish to Norwegian spelling: vand > vann, ind > inn, hende > henne etc.; *vann, *inn, *henne > sinning, stronner, rinns.

Customary reference: no authoritative pattern reference for medial wing in Middle and Modern English, nn taken from ness (third degree of authority); from Norwegian (fourth degree). Inappropriate options: ng (polyphonic with wing and guess; sinner: wing only; finger: wing and guess).

Aesthetic function: (1) graphic shallowing: (b) substitution (medial): ng > nn. least intrusive pattern. (2) graphic deepening: (a) shortening: nnk > nk [sinnk > sink; mèlannkoly > mèlankoly]; nng > ng (medial) [Innglish > Inglish; finnger > finger].


Final

songsangreedingrong
ringclungsinningthing

First degree
Inflections: sing, sang, sung > sinns, sinning | king > kinns


yes

yachtyeastyonderyour
yesyebeyondyea
yotyeestyonderyor
yesyeebiyondyæ

First degree

Etymological function: ye/yee, yor, yors; *yoo > ew [Old English eow, stressed] and u [unstressed].

Aesthetic function: graphic deepening: (a) initial Nordic-hugh licence: yooth, yoo, ewe, yew > ewth, ew, ew, ew.


wes

whatwaswisewomb
waftwerewesternwolf
wotwoswyzwoom
woftwerwesternwoulf

First degree

Aesthetic function: (a) graphic deepening: hwen-licence: [wot, wen, wear, wy etc.] or [hwot, hwen, hwear/hwer, hwy etc.].


ree

rapwrongpaircorrect
restcrosstransferarrest
writeeffortactorcurrent
rockproclaimcatarrharrive
raprongpaircorèct
restcrosstransferarèst
rytèfortactorcùrent
rokproclámkatárarív

First degree

Phonological function: PPA: rap, rest, cross > rong, ryt, corèct.

Etymological function: (1) preservation of rhotic heritage also in non-rhotic sppech: pair, actor, transfer. (2) no silent relic: write, arrest, catarrh > ryt, arèst, katár.

Customary reference: cf. King Horn: arive, not arrive.

Aesthetic function: graphic shallowing: (a) subtraction of silent letters: wr, rh > r; (b) undoubling: rr > r.


lee

laplustshallfill
leftclasstellgallery
lightflutecallfull
lockrelaxtallrule
laplustshalfil
leftclàsstelgalery
lytfluetcoalfoul
lokrelàxtoalruel

First degree

Phonological function: PPA: lap, class, regal > shal, galery, wil. no distinction between dark and light lee.

Customary reference: cf. Canterbury Tales: shal, bifel, ful, wel.; cf. Howell’s 1662 Grammar: “In most words ending in ll, the later l may be spared, as Bell bel, fell fel, tell tel, mongrell mongrel &c. and the sound of the word remains as full.”

Aesthetic function: graphic shallowing: (a) undoubling: ll > l.


Lady Matilda pleads with king Henry III for protecting the Bloo Bouk legacy in 1236. Lady Matilda’s intervention secured the first instance of royal assistance, however limited, since the Norman invasion.


B. Weak Consonants

Voiced and unaspirated, both plosive and fricative

bess

badbutbribecabbage
bestaboutbribedrabbit
bitabbotrobrebuke
bottlecombinerobbedrabbi
badbutbrybcabagg
bestabautbrybdrabit
bitabotrobrebúk
botelcombínrobdrabey

First degree:
Inflections: grab, grabs, grabd, grabing


den

dayaddressaddictloved
debtundothirdcarried
dishadventreverendwanted
dogredeemballadwretched
dæadrèssadictluvd
detundotherdcaryd
dishadvèntreverendwonted
dogredémbaladreched

First degree:
Inflections: luv, luvs, luvd, luving | need, needs, needed, needing
cary, carys, caryd, carying | plæ, plæs, plæd, playing


guess | Nordic

gapguestgiddybeggar
garlicgiveghostforget
getgirlaghastbag
guessguiltbeginegg
gapgestgidybegar
garlicgivgœstforget
getgerlagawstbag
gessgiltbigineg

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales, 81:
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: gest.


guess | Greek-Latin

Before a, o, u; final

gardengoutgulfleague
guardianregardplaguecolleague

Before e, i, y

guerdonguilelongitudebeguile
guitarguideguisedisguise

Before a, o, u; final

gardengoutgulfleeg
gardianregárdplægcoleg

First degree:
cf. Howell’s Grammar: Gard; cf. Modern French: garde.

Before e, i, y

guerdonguyllonguituedbiguíl
guitárguydguyzdisguíz

First degree


gwen

Celtic

GwenGwynethGwendolynGwyn

Latin

languagelingualbilingualguaraná
seguesanguineanguishpenguin

Celtic

GwenGwinethGwendolinGwin

First degree


Latin

langüagglingüalbylingüalgüarana
següæsangüinangüishpengüin

First degree:
gü distinguishes Latin gwen from gu in a hiatus:
langüagg, sangüin > arguably, jaguar, ambiguos.


exam

examexistexudeexact
exoticexistenceexuberantexhaust
ezzàmezzìstezzúdezzàct
ezzòtikezzìstensezzuberantezzáust

Fourth degree:
zz is a digraph from Italian.
It distinguishes exam from eks: ezzàm, ezzèmpt, ezzàmpel > exèl, extrém, exèntrik.


jess

Initial and Middle with j

jarjostleadjacentjacket
jaderejoiceejectcajole
jeansjustjuicejealous

Initial with g, before e, i, y; non-Nordic

gentlegingeometrygerm
gesturegenegimnasticsgiant

Middle with gg: (1) before e, i, y, (2) before consonant, (3) final

agilerigidurgentEgypt
agentsergenthydrogenvengeans
lodgeporridgelanguagelarge
judgemarriagevegetablescourge
hemorrhagesyringelithargedemiurge
edgeridgeknowledgebridge

Initial and Middle with j

jarjosselajácentjaket
jædrejóisejèctcajœl
jeensjustjuesjelos

First degree:
mostly from words originally with Latin yes /j/, does not include Greek.
sometimes written i in Middle English, cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: iustyng.

Initial with g, before e, i, y; non-Nordic

gentelgingeòmetrygerm
gesturgeengimnàstiksgíant

First degree:
mostly from words originally with Latin or Greek guess /g/.
j can only occur where it used to be the semivowel i before Latin-French vowels:
iustus, adiacens > just, ajácent | general, geography > *jeneral, *jeògrafy.
j cannot replace Greek-Latin ge- or gi-: Genua, George, ginger > *Jenua, *Jorgg, *jinjer.

Middle with g after e, i, y, and consonant; and final

aggylriggiderggentÉggipt
ággentsarggenthídroggenvenggens
loggporigglangüagglargg
juggmaraggveggtabelskergg
hèmoraggsirìngglitharggdemiergg
eggriggnoleggbrigg

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: abregge, alegge. | cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: iugged, brygge.
cf. Pearl: jugged. | cf. King Horn: brigge, rigge. | cf. Havelok the Dane: brigge.
Inflections: jugg, jugges, juggd, jugging | egg, egges, eggd, egging | brigg, brigges
j cannot occur in final position. g in final position is already assigned to guess.


vee

vasteventhaveclove
vaseinvestgivegave
venisonavailloveloved
victoryrevererevrevving
vàstevènthavclœv
vàzinvèstgivgæv
venissonaválluvluvd
victoryreveerrevreving

First degree:
cf. Howell’s 1662 Grammar:
“There is a Maxim in Logic, that frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora, More is too much when fewer will serve: and as this Rule holds in all things els, so it may well do in Orthography.”
Hence: have, give, love > hav, giv, luv


then

Initial

thethisthatthey
thoughthesethosethem
theretheirthey’rethen
thoutheethythus

Middle and Final

althoughrhythmbotherblithe
pathsmotherbatheclothed
truthsfatherbathedloathe
withbrotherclotheloathes

Initial

thethisthatthæ
thœtheesthœsthem
thearthearthearthen
thautheethythus

First degree:
There is no convincing assigner for initial then that is recurrent both in Chaucer and in Modern English:
cf. the > *dhe, *dde, *tte, *ðe, *þe.
þ is the closest assigner, as it was used in other Middle English texts and in early modern English handwriting.
But it is onerous to assign a disused letter to the most recurrent words of the English language: the, this, that etc.
Initial then only occurs in a limited number of words. They keep their traditional th assigner as protected words.


Middle and Final

oalddœriddmbodderblydd
pawddsmudderbæddclœddd
trooddsfawdderbædddlœdd
widdbrudderclœddlœdds

Second degree:
dd is recurrent in Middle and Modern English. Yet the above use is borrowed from Welsh.
Final dd with morphemic d may be written thd: bæddd, clœddd > bæthd, clœthd.
Inflections: lœdd, lœdds, lœthd, lœdding.


zen

Initial, Middle before or after consonant, root final

zebrazealouscharismacleanse
zipwisdomplasmacompose
zestobserveriseanalyse
zealdismalbrowseto use

Middle between vowels, morphemic final

bosomanalysingpossesslions
resistcomposingzebraslion’s
musiche housesanalysesmen’s
usingphysicsplaysvoices

Initial, Middle before or after consonant, root final

zebrazeloskarìzmaclenz
zipwizdomplàzmacompóz
zestobzérvryzànalyz
zeeldizmalbrauzto uez

First degree:
Middle and Modern English do not distinguish middle zen from middle sen next to consonants:
observe, obscene > obzérv, obsén
dismal, disdain > dizmal, disdán
wisdom, whisky > wizdom, wisky
When final zen does not mark plural, genitive or third person, it is written z:
rise, browse, cleanse > ryz, brauz, clenz
cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with final z, albeit morphemic: biginez, werkez, kyngez, stonez.


Middle between vowels, morphemic final

bousomànalysingposèsslyons
resìstcompósingzebraslyons
musikhe hausesànalysesmens
usingfisiksplæsvoices

First degree:
Inflections: ànalyz, ànalyses, ànalyzd, ànalysing | uez, uses, uezd, using (cf. also Latin hugh)
aryz, aryses, arœz, arysing | aróuz, aróuses, aróuzd, aróusing.
ànalyses, using, risen, aróusing: s, because zen is between vowels.
But: clenzes, clenzing: z, because zen is not between vowels.

For genitive and plural inflections, cf. Morphology.
Howell’s Grammar does not use apostrophe for the genitive: “R is the Dogs letter, (...) this Letter sounds of a Dogs nostrill, (...) S, the Serpents Letter,” and “Now ’tis the Accents duty to make us pronounce aright.”


genre | French only

genregendarmebeigeprotégé
genregendarmbægepròtegeay

Second degree:
In Modern French aliens, genre before a, o, u is not standardised: joie de vivre, belle de jour > *geowà de vévre, *bel de geour.
For the use of genre in Latin suffixes, see Morphology.


Aldhelm presents the Bloo Bouk to the monks of Malmesbury Abbey for the first time, ca. 705. It is Aldhelm himself who introduced the spelling keys system to the Bloo Bouk code.


C. Strong Consonants

Voiceless and often aspirated, both plosive and fricative

pen

padpumpimpressgroup
pestpraisecorrupthiccough
pillempiricalliplamp
pondappeargrapesyrup
padpumpimprèssgruep
pestpræzcorùpthicup
pilempìrikalliplamp
pondapeergræpsirup

First degree


ten

tabreturnanteriorasked
testattendpriestvexed
ticktreegreatwashed
toptopickissedlatched
tabretérnantëriorawskt
testatèndpreestvext
tiktreegrætwosht
toptopikkistlacht

First degree:
Inflections: kiss, kisses, kist, kissing | lach, laches, lacht, laching
cf. Canterbury Tales: kist.


ken | Nordic-Latin

Initial and Middle before a, o, u, or consonant

catclassactualcollar
costcrispaccesscase
cupincreasecrazykale
cookacclaimconsumecolour

Initial and Middle before e, i, y

kernelcurtsyoccurken
articlecurlakinconquer
colonelcarekissingcurved
kerchiefkitescourgeaccursed

Final

blackmakeblocantique
rockbookuniquecreak
strokepublicblockbaroque

Initial and Middle before a, o, u, or consonant

catclàssactualcolar
costcrispaccèsscæs
cupincréscræsycæl
cuikaclámconsúmcùlor

First degree:
a Latin assignment later adopted by the Anglo-Saxons.

Initial and Middle before e, i, y

kernelkertsyokérken
artikelkerlakincònker
kernelkearkissingkervd
kerchifkytskerggakérst

First degree:
an Anglo-Norman loan of Greek kappa against the ambiguous Latin c.
cf. Thomas of Britain, Tristan: ki [qui], ke [que], kel [quel], unkes [oncques], aukes [auques], eskermies, eskermir, eskipre, eschekerez, wiket, tresk
cf. courchief > kerchief; article > artikel etc.
cf. Canterbury Tales: takel [tackle], sikerly.
cf. Howell’s Grammar:
“C might well be spared when it comes before k, as fickle, fikle [> fikel], pickle, pikle [> pikel], tickle, tikle [> tikel], &c. for the word retains still its full sound.”

Final

blakmækblokanték
rokboukunékcreek
strœkpublikblokbaròk

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: blak, quik, garleek, cok, flok.
cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: prik, nek, bak, thik.


ken | Greek

categorychromaticochlocracycatholic
chemistrycrisisChristianschool
climatechemicalTerpsichorestomach
charismaChristCyclopscataclysm
kàtegorykromàtikoklòkrassykàtholik
kèmistrykríssisKristianskuel
klímatkèmikalTerpsìkorystumak
karìzmaKrystSíklopskàtaklizem

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: logik, phisik, magik.

Consistent k for ken mirrors the consistency of Greek spelling. Greek chi merges with kappa.
cf. Havelok the Dane: patriark.

skuel [ov pupils] > Greek key | scool [ov fish] > Nordic key


kwee

Nordic

quackquellquickquoth
quakequeenquiverqualm

Latin

quaintrequestquitquote
qualityequipmentquestionquotient

Nordic

kwakkwelkwikkwœth
kwækkweenkwiverkwawm

First degree:
cf. Old English: cwen, cwellan, cwic, cwifer

Latin

quæntrequèstequipmentquœt
quolityéqualquestionquócient

First degree


eks-eksh

vexecstasyrelaxox
exceleccentricextremeluxury
vexèxtassyrelàxox
exèlexèntrikextrémluxury

First degree


chess

charmchurchmuchdispatch
checkachievematchdispatched
chillreachfetchenriched
chokechocolatebotchtouch
charmcherchmuchdispàch
chekachévmachdispàcht
chilreechfechenrìcht
chœkchocolatbochtuch

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: bocher [butcher].
cf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: cach, lach, mach.


fen

fatfullinfergraphic
festeffectfaunenough
fillrefrainphotolaugh
foxafloatphilosophytough
fatfoulinférgrafik
festefèctfaunenuf
filrefránfótolawf
foxaflœtfilòssofytuf

First degree:
The standardisation of Greek ph into f follows the Italian-Spanish pattern, now also German.


thin

thatchthudthroughboth
thegnthawpithydepth
thinthrewethosmaths
thoroughthemefaithauthor
thachthudthroobœth
thænthoapithydepth
thinthrooéthosmaths
thorœtheemfæthauthor

First degree


sen

(1) Initial, (2) middle next to consonant, (3) root final after consonant (4) or two vowels, (5) morphemic final

sad1whisper2once3mouse4
said1respect2since3cats5
scene1telescope2horse3eats5
centre1obscene2house4thief’s5

Middle between vowels, root final after one vowel

assumedemocracystressdiscipline
essentialbasicpurposepossess
philosophylessaddressdiagnosis
phantasyhighnessassessanalysis

Initial and middle before e, i, y, Latin only

certainhomicidecityincite
circleaccessincidentdecision
concertsciencerecipeincest

(1) Initial, (2) middle next to consonant, (3) root final after consonant (4) or two vowels, (5) morphemic final

sad1wisper2wuns3maus4
sed1respèct2sins3cats5
seen1tèleskœp2hors3eets5
senter1obsén2haus4theefs5

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: prys [price], sins [since], voys, mous, hors.

middle between vowels, root final after one vowel

assúmdemòkrassystressdissiplin
essencialbássikperpossposèss
filòssofylessadrèssdyagnóssis
fàntassyhynessassèssanàlissis

First degree:
Nordic inflections: haus, hausses
Latin sc: disciple, discern, rescind > dissípel, dissérn, ressìnd
Greek inflections: anàlissis, anàlisses | críssis, crísses

Initial and middle before e, i, y, Latin only

certanhomicydcityincít
cerkelaccessincidentdecision
concertcíensrècipyincèst

First degree:
mostly words with c originally pronounced as ken.
Latin inflections: prins, fínans > princes, fínances, cf. Canterbury Tales: vois > voices.

Latin: certain, city, consequences > certan, city, cònsequences
Greek: center, scenery, place, places > senter, sénery, plæs, plásses

Inconsistent Latin spellings are inherited from Latin and French, hence s and c for sen.
Inconsistent Greek spellings are not inherited from Greek: thus no Greek word must be spelt with c.
Greek always requires s for sen and k for ken.


shee

shedshockcheffinish
shipshowmachinepushed
shovefashionsurecharade
shoefishsugarechelon
shedshoksheffinish
shipshœmashénpuisht
shuvfashonshursharâd
shoofishshuigareshelon

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: fish, parish, Frensh
When Anglo-Norman ch or ss are shee, sh is a common assignment:
paroche > parish | finiss[ant] > finish
Modern French words or proper names do not require standardisation if they become irrecognisable:
crochet > *cróshay | Beauchamp > *Bosham | attaché > *atàshay


hee

hathorrorhectichuman
himhaunthomagehymn
whoherohomehydrogen
hathororhektikhuman
himhaunthomagghim
hoohërohœmhídroggen

First degree:
cf. Canterbury Tales: his, hath, holt, heeth.
Silent initial h in Latin words is not standardised: hour, honour, honest > hower, honor, honest


hwen

whatwhywhilewhen
wherewhichwhitewhence
hwothwyhwylhwen
hwearhwichhwythwens

First degree:
cf. Havelok the Dane: hwan, hwil, hwether [hwen, hwyl, hwedder].
In writing that observes hwen, the assigner is hw.
Otherwise, the assigner is wes: wot, wear, wy, wich etc.


Table of Assignments



ConsonantGreekLatinNordic
meemmm
nessnnn
wingn | nn | ngn | nn | ngn | nn | ng
yes——y
wes——w
reerrr
leelll
bessbbb
denddd
guessg | gug | gug
gwen—gügw
examzzzz—
jessg | ggj | g | ggj | gg
vee—vv
thendd—dd | th
zenz | sz | sz | s
genre—ge—
penppp
tenttt
kenkk | ck | c
kwee—qukw
eksxxx
chesschchch
fenfff
thinththth
sens | sss | ss | cs | ss
sheeshshsh
heehhh
hwen——hw

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