The Cambridge Handbook of Historical Orthography:
Condorelli and Rutkowska (eds.) (2023)

Title: The Cambridge Handbook of Historical Orthography
Series Title: Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics
Publication Year: 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
http://www.cambridge.org/linguistics
Book URL: https://cambridge.org/9781108487313

Editor: Marco Condorelli
Editor: Hanna Rutkowska

Abstract:

The study of orthography (spelling and writing systems), and its development over the history of language, is central to many areas of linguistic enquiry, offering insight into syntactic and morphological structures, phonology, typology, historical linguistics, literacy and reading, and the social and cultural context of language use. With contributions from a global team of scholars, this Handbook provides the first comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field, tracing the development of historical orthography, with special emphasis on the last and present centuries. Chapters are split into five key thematic areas, with a focus throughout on the interplay between theory and practice. It also explores the methods used in studying historical orthography, and the principles involved in the development of a spelling system. Providing a critical assessment of the state of the art in the field, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in writing systems and historical linguistics.

Part I. Introduction:

1. Historical orthography: purposes, ambitions and boundaries – Marco Condorelli and Hanna Rutkowska;

Part II. Structures and Theories:

2. Classifying and comparing early writing systems – Amalia E. Gnanadesikan;

3. Elements of writing systems – Stefan Hartmann and Renata Szczepaniak;

4. Orthographic conventionality – Aurelija Tamošiūnaitė;

5. Theoretical approaches to understanding writing systems – Hanna Rutkowska;

6. Grapholinguistics – Vuk-Tadija Barbarić;

7. Typologies of writing systems – Terry Joyce;

Part III. Organization and Development:

8. Comparative historical perspectives – Per Ambrosiani and Elena Llamas-Pombo;

9. Systems and idiosyncrasies – Benjamin W. Fortson IV;

10. Multilayeredness and multiaspectuality – Justyna Rogos-Hebda;

11. Adapting alphabetic writing systems – Anetta Luto-Kamińska;

12. Variation and change – Michelle Waldispühl;

13. What is spelling standardization? – Marco Condorelli;

Part IV. Empirical Approaches:

14. Studying epigraphic writing – Katherine McDonald and Emmanuel Dupraz;

15. Materiality of writing – Giedrius Subačius;

16. Data collection and interpretation – Anja Voeste;

17. Philological approaches – Annina Seiler and Christine Wallis;

18. Exploring orthographic distribution – Javier Calle-Martín and Juan Lorente-Sánchez;

19. Comparative and sociopragmatic methods – Marija Lazar;

20. Reconstructing a pre-historic writing system – Ester Salgarella;

Part V. Explanatory Discussions:

21. Scribes and scribal practices – Peter J. Grund;

22. Orthographic norms and authorities – Carol Percy;

23. Networks of practice across English and Dutch corpora – Marco Condorelli and Chris De Wulf;

24. Literacy and the singular history of Norwegian – Agnete Nesse;

25. Authorship and gender – Mel Evans;

26. Sociolinguistic variables in English orthography – Juan Manuel Hernández-Campoy;

27. Sociolinguistic implications of orthographic variation in French – Sandrine Tailleur;

28. Orthography and language contact – Israel Sanz-Sánchez;

29. Discourse and sociopolitical issues – Laura Villa Galán;

30. Transmission and diffusion – Gijsbert Rutten, Iris Van de Voorde and Rik Vosters;

31. Analogy and extension – Yishai Neuman;

Bibliography; Subject index; Name index.