The History of English Podcast

Episode 89: ‘I Before E’ and All That

Jan 23, 2017
This podcast explores the spelling challenges faced by scribes during the Middle English period and the innovations they developed. It discusses the techniques used to represent vowel sounds and the history of the 'I before E' rule. Additionally, it examines the evolution of spelling and the impact of pronunciation changes. The upcoming episode will delve into King Richard I and the Arab influence on English.
Ask episode
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1
Introduction
00:00 • 2min
2
Spelling Challenges and Innovations in Middle English
02:17 • 11min
3
The Use of Double Consonants and Double Vowels
13:01 • 12min
4
The Origins of the 'I before E' Rule
24:50 • 7min
5
Spelling Innovations in Middle English
31:28 • 5min
6
The Evolution of the Silent 'e'
36:22 • 12min
7
The Development of English Spelling and Introduction to King Richard I
48:50 • 3min