Some Old English and Middle English letters

1. Some Old English and Middle English letters þ, ð • used in handwriting until late in the 15th century: OE þæt, oðer, ME þat, oðer • þ is sometimes used at the beginning of words, ð elsewehere. • Many texts use only þ, others ð • Dotted y used in earliest printed texts “ye Olde Englishe Tea Shoppe”

2. Some Old English and Middle English letters g • OE g was written and used for 3 sounds: • [g] as in go (gangan, guma) > ME gange, goom • [j] as in yellow (geolwe, geong) > ME y or • [ ] as in Icelandic; boga - ME w (bowe) • In Middle English it was written and known as “yogh” – it was used for the sounds [j] and [x ] • OE h in words such as niht, eahta, þoht became - later night, eight, thought

3. Some Old English and Middle English letters c,k • OE c was used for [k] and [ ] can cniht cyrice céosan • These usually became k and ch in ME can kni3t chirche chese

4. Some Old English and Middle English letters cg • OE cg was used for bygc ecg • This usually gg or dge in ME bridge edge

5. Some Old English and Middle English letters w • Old English w was written . • In Middle English it was written u, v, uu, v v • Old English cw (cwic, cwén) came to be written qu (quick, quene)

6. See: http://www.hi.is/~peturk/KENNSLA/11/TOPICS/04OEalphab.html

9. Old English p, þ w and r and s looked rather similar: p th w r s

10. The problem of the minim in Middle English writing i n m u,v

11. The problem of the minim in Middle English writing come son - sun rung lung among tongue s u m e s o m e