Orthography

Introduction to Orthography

Orthography refers to the conventional spellings used in a language, and the rules that govern those spellings.
It is an aspect of language that can reveal a lot about different sociolects, dialects, and the influence of technology on language progression.

English orthography has a complex history due to the influence of Latin, Greek, Old Norse, French, and other languages on its development.
The 15th and 16th centuries saw major reforms in English spelling, establishing many of the conventions we follow today.
Nonetheless, inconsistencies do remain. For example, ‘ough’ can be pronounced in various ways as in ‘though’, ‘through’, ‘cough’, ‘plough’.

Orthographic variation can often reflect different sociolects and dialects.
For example, in non-standard dialects, words might be written as they are spoken, such as ‘wanna’ for ‘want to’ or ‘gonna’ for ‘going to’.
In regional dialects, local words may have unique spellings that differ from standard English; for example, ‘reet’ in Geordie (North East England dialect) for ‘right’.

Technological advances, especially in digital communication, have greatly impacted orthography.
Text speak, which favours speed and brevity, often disregards standard orthographic conventions. For instance, ‘2’ might be used for ‘to’ or ‘too’, or ‘u’ for ‘you’.
The use of emojis is a recent orthographic development that allows for the expression of emotion or intention without words.

Orthographic convergence refers to the process where different orthographic systems become more alike, often due to the influence of a dominant language or dialect.
An example is the increasing use of American English spelling conventions in British English, such as ‘color’ instead of ‘colour’.
On the other hand, orthographic divergence refers to the evolution of distinct spelling systems within a language, often due to geographical isolation or societal changes.

English orthography varies globally, with distinct spelling rules in American English, British English, Canadian English, and Australian English, among others.
Distinct spelling systems, such as American English’s ‘organize’ vs British English’s ‘organise’, highlight the influence of different cultural and historical factors on orthography.
Importantly, English used as a Lingua Franca (ELF) often adopts simplified spelling rules to facilitate communication among non-native speakers, contributing to orthographic diversity.