Testing a New Spelling Database Created from The Linguistic Atlas of Early Middle English

Authors

• Marie Vaňková Charles University, Prague

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51814/nm.107719

Keywords:

Middle English, spelling, Linguistic Atlas of Early Middle English, research tool

Abstract

This paper presents a new tool designed to facilitate linguistic analyses of texts from the early Middle English period, focusing primarily on spelling and its variation. The core of the application is a database which maps correspondences between segments of the numerous spelling variants available in the Linguistic Atlas of Early Middle English (LAEME). The interface is suitable for analyses of spelling systems of individual texts and their comparison, as well as analyses with a wider scope such as spelling variants potentially associated with
a specific sound change etc.

The article is based on a short sample study designed to test various features of the tool. The goal of the study is to describe the distribution of equivalents of h, ȝ across multiple copies of three short lyrics. A basic description of the tool is complemented with practical examples of its use taken from the study. The article also relates the results of the study to previous findings in order to check for potential errors in the database, and to assess its advantages or disadvantages in comparison with more traditional research methods.