History of English Spelling

WHO INVENTED THE I BEFORE E RULE

ANYWAY??

Brief History of English Language & how the heritage of our everyday words eff ects our spelling.

Due to the Influence of other languages on English- we not only have a very complex and diverse written and spoken language- our spelling is very complex, complicated, and diffi cult to master

Various alphabets as well as written standards for English Spelling have been made. These vary by historical time frame, social influence, the people group creating them

Commonly misspelled words- why are there so many odd rules in English Spelling

Specific words we use that come from other languages

QUICK OVERVIEW

26%

29%

29%

6%

10%

Origins of English

Germanic LanguagesLatinFrenchGreek Other

HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

VARIOUS PHONETIC ALPHABETS

Benjamin Franklin’s Phonetic Alphabet: developed during the standardization of English Spelling.

“English; A language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages, and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.”

FOREIGN WORDS YOU THOUGHT WERE ENGLISH

Placebo: Comes from the Latin verb for “I shall please”Loot: Comes from an Anglo-Indian word with a Hindu root

“lut” which means something stolen in a war or riotKudos: Comes from an ancient Greek word for “glory” or

“renown” Khaki: Means “dusty” or “earth” in Hindu and became

widely used in Britain after their colonization in IndiaGlitch: Comes from both Yiddish and German words for

“slip up”Confetti: Italian word for candyAssassin: Arabic word for a sect of warriors sent to kill

another groupPoltergeist: Comes from the German Words that mean “to

make noise” and “ghost”

FOREIGN WORDS YOU THOUGHT WERE ENGLISH