The study also examines how we know if a spelling is a good phonographic match for a word. The primary focus is on the spelling of inflections, but also derivations, names and non-standard spellings. This thesis examines how English spellings are formed, particularly where compromises are made in the representation of both morphological and phonological information. Yet none of these theories address in detail why certain spellings are chosen over others. (2014) observe that the spelling of affixes is more stable than the spelling of bases, hence alternates with, not * or *. An outstanding problem is the degree to which morphemic spelling is applied across the system (c.f. Segmental-level correspondences have been examined in detail (Venezky 1970, Cummings 1988, Carney 1994, Rollings 2004), while recent work shows that English spellings also encode supra-segmental information (Evertz and Primus 2013, Evertz 2014). Studies of English spelling have primarily focussed on correspondences between spelling and sound among core, standard spellings. The English writing system is thus characterised as being in permanent flux, as it accumulates new spellings over the centuries. Hence old spelling units can be redeployed for new purposes in new spellings. Another central argument of the thesis is that new spelling units arise due to changes in phonology that are not matched by changes in spelling. This logic can be extended to all spelling, and the argument here is that readers must map from spelling to sound at several phonological levels (phonemes, rhymes, syllables, feet), an extension of Venezky’s (1970) model. These spellings require readers to reconstruct a known phonological form, from a new spelling. It is also shown that new and creative spellings may be subject to users’ awareness of higher-level structures in the formation of spellings, and this explains why ‘constructed homophones’ are possible, where distinctive spellings are formed by altering units of spelling, at any phonological level, hence the band names OutKast, Altern-8, Xzibit, INXS, etc. The model also provides a viable path for the under-explained phenomenon of spelling pronunciation. A simple notation is introduced to show the main details, and this may be applicable in the classroom. Where conflicts arise in the application of IdP, draft spellings can amended where appropriate, hence + not *. English spelling formation is modelled visually by constructing orthographic trees and comparing orthographic structure against phonological structure. English spellings are thus formed from ‘lengthwise’ units of spelling, which may be reduced but never broken (psychotherapist, psychedelic, psy trance). It is argued here that morphemic spelling is fundamentally the same as etymological spelling, as both are different manifestations of IdP, one connecting the meaning of related English words, in spite of differences (electric, electricity, electrician) the other connecting English to other languages (e.g. It has long been known that polymorphemic words tend to keep the spelling of their constituent morphemes ‘as much as possible’ (Venezky 1970: 120), and I examine how much this is possible, by looking at how amendments are made, firstly in inflected forms, and then in affixed derivation, where the complicating factor of etymology often plays a part. Any spelling All words must have some spelling. Invariant spelling Once a spelling has been settled upon, it is not changed. Distinctiveness (DSTNCT) Words with different meanings should have different spellings, if possible. Phonographic Matching (PhM) The spelling must match the known phonological form and changes may be made, where necessary, if possible, by amending the spelling-to-sound correspondences 3. Hence related words have related spellings. Identity Preservation (IdP) A spelling takes its form from the spellings of its subcomponents. I argue that there are five basic principles of English spelling and that different kinds of words may be spelt in different ways, subject to different applications of these principles, which state: 1. This study provides a method for studying a wide range of English spellings.
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