THE THE NORMAN NORMAN SCRIBES SCRIBES

Introduction: Who were the Introduction: Who were the Norman Scribes?Norman Scribes?

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The “minim confusion”The “minim confusion”

Norman scribesNorman scribes areare

The scribes and The scribes and clerks who did most clerks who did most

of the writing of of the writing of English after the English after the

Norman ConquestNorman Conquest..

The Norman scribes listened to the English they The Norman scribes listened to the English they heard around them, and began to spell it according heard around them, and began to spell it according to the conventions they had previously used for to the conventions they had previously used for French.French.

When French scribes transcribed Anglo-Saxon texts, When French scribes transcribed Anglo-Saxon texts, they made significant changes: they made significant changes:

. Dropped the odd spelling characters such . Dropped the odd spelling characters such as:as:ðð, , ææ, and , and þþ. .

. Odd orthographic sound combinations were . Odd orthographic sound combinations were changed. For example, the Anglo-Saxon "changed. For example, the Anglo-Saxon "scsc" " and "and "cgcg" were replaced with "" were replaced with "shsh" and "" and "dgdg". ".

. Other numerous spelling changes. . Other numerous spelling changes.

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The Norman scribes introduced :The Norman scribes introduced : ququ instead of instead of cwcw ( (queen queen for for cwencwen).).

Old English Norman scribes cwic quick cwen queen ghgh (instead of (instead of hh) in such words as ) in such words as

nightnight and and enoughenough..

Old English Norman scribes niht night

Another change introduced was Another change introduced was ouou for for uu (as in (as in househouse). ).

chch (instead of (instead of cc) in such words as ) in such words as churchchurch..

Yet one more change was the use of Yet one more change was the use of cc before before ee (instead of (instead of ss) in such words as ) in such words as cerclecercle (‘circle’) and (‘circle’) and cellcell. .

The medial <The medial <ff> was replaced with <> was replaced with <vv>, thus >, thus changing earlier changing earlier cnifascnifas to to knivesknives..

that- [ðat] Norman scribes dropped the that- [ðat] Norman scribes dropped the "þ""þ" and and "ð""ð" and replaced them with and replaced them with "th“"th“ Also, note that Also, note that "th“"th“ replaced the OE's replaced the OE's "ð""ð" of definite articles. of definite articles.

The Norman scribes sometimes used French The Norman scribes sometimes used French rules when they wrote English words.rules when they wrote English words.

For example, in French,when you write a g before an i or an e,

you have to add a u or the g will be pronounced like a j.

But sometimes the Norman scribes would use this rule for English words:

Old English Norman scribes gest guest tunge tongue

Spelling ConventionsSpelling Conventions Norman scribes had a Norman scribes had a

strange writing when strange writing when scratching down scratching down characters like characters like <m>, <m>, <n>, <i>, <u><n>, <i>, <u> and and <v>.<v>. All these letters All these letters were formed with a were formed with a sequence of vertical sequence of vertical strokes. So <luminis> strokes. So <luminis> resulted in a resulted in a sequence of such sequence of such strokes, which maked strokes, which maked it rather unreadable. it rather unreadable.

Scribes knew about Scribes knew about this problem and it this problem and it was named the was named the minim confusionminim confusion. .

Furthermore Furthermore <u><u> and and <v><v> were not distinguished were not distinguished graphically. This made it graphically. This made it extremely difficult to identify extremely difficult to identify some English words such as some English words such as <<luveluve> (ModE. love), <> (ModE. love), <tungetunge> > (ModE. tongue) and <(ModE. tongue) and <cumencumen> > (ModE. to come). (ModE. to come).

The scribes had overcome The scribes had overcome these reading difficulties by these reading difficulties by introducing a couple of spelling introducing a couple of spelling conventions:conventions:

With regard to With regard to <u><u> and and <v><v> the Norman scribes introduced the Norman scribes introduced the convention to replace the convention to replace <u><u> by the letter by the letter <o><o>. . They also They also replaced replaced <i><i> by the letter by the letter <o><o>..

So the spelling of our ModE <love> is a So the spelling of our ModE <love> is a result of this scribal convention. But they result of this scribal convention. But they still pronounced it with this luvely /u/.still pronounced it with this luvely /u/.

Old English Norman scribes cuman come sunu son wimman woman

luveluve lovelove