# Spellings during the time of the Puritans



## crhoades (Nov 17, 2004)

All - Webmaster,

I have some old works of Calvin and the Puritans from the SWRB Cds that I'm wanting to modernize the spelling. It's easy to tell that f's are now replaced with s's etc. Does anyone know of either a dictionary, website, aything that gives a complete list of changes or at least so I can look up words?

Thanks!


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## SmokingFlax (Nov 17, 2004)

I'd like to know this too...for the same reasons.


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Nov 18, 2004)

Honestly, take the Geneva bible and compare it to the English bible you have. After reading it for a month you will have no problem distinguishing these things. I know of no sites that help with this.

We (I) have been translating those CDs for the past year. We have 3 full CDs done and I am working on turning them into published book form. I am trying to finish a 4th CD and then they will be publish in book form.

[If anyone would like to help (hint hint) I offer the completed CD in its entirety for those who help with just a few files.]

[Edited on 11-18-2004 by webmaster]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 18, 2004)

J myfelf have not any trouble reading ye old Puritan Englishe. Aye, the fpelling may'ft caufe difficultief for _Some_, yea, for _Many_ in our Daye; but, mayhapf, with Effort and Application, one may'ft yet Fucceede in tranflating ye workef of Shakefpear, ye Geneva Bible, and our greate Puritan Fatherf, into our Moderne Englishe, and thou may'ft profitte from them in due feafon and bee greatly edify'd therein as fuch Exercifef hath been to Mee in feafonf past.

[Edited on 18-11-2004 by VirginiaHuguenot]


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## blhowes (Nov 18, 2004)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> J myfelf have not any trouble reading ye old Puritan Englishe. Aye, the fpelling may'ft caufe difficultief for _Some_, yea, for _Many_ in our Daye; but, mayhapf, with Effort and Application, one may'ft yet Fucceede in tranflating ye workef of Shakefpear, ye Geneva Bible, and our greate Puritan Fatherf, into our Moderne Englishe, and ye may'ft profitte from them in due feafon and bee greatly edify'd therein as fuch Exercifef hath been to Mee in feafonf past.


 

[Edited on 18-11-2004 by blhowes]


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## crhoades (Nov 18, 2004)

> _Originally posted by blhowes_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> ...



Can we have a new forum on the PB that only allows us to type like that? 

I can read it fine, what I'm hoping is that there is a program that automatically corrects all of the spelling so I don't have to go through 1000's of pages of OCR'd text with a 100+ "miffpelled" words per page.


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## jfschultz (Nov 18, 2004)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> J myfelf have not any trouble reading ye old Puritan Englishe. Aye, the fpelling may'ft caufe difficultief for _Some_, yea, for _Many_ in our Daye; but, mayhapf, with Effort and Application, one may'ft yet Fucceede in tranflating ye workef of Shakefpear, ye Geneva Bible, and our greate Puritan Fatherf, into our Moderne Englishe, and thou may'ft profitte from them in due feafon and bee greatly edify'd therein as fuch Exercifef hath been to Mee in feafonf past.
> 
> [Edited on 18-11-2004 by VirginiaHuguenot]



It is easier to read in the original typeface


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## SmokingFlax (Nov 18, 2004)

Quote:

"[If anyone would like to help (hint hint) I offer the completed CD in its entirety for those who help with just a few files.]"

I'm interested...moreso in getting them in book form (sitting in front of the computer monitor gets taxing after a short while). 

Isn't there some kind of copyright issues with this (like what swrb is dealing with) or is that voided by updating the texts to modern English?

I'm interested in transcribing Rutherford's Pretended Liberty of Conscience...you didn't update that one yet did you?


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## yeutter (Nov 18, 2004)

In German, we don't historically have the letter y. Normally a j is used in its stead. So I have found it interesting when I read reformation era Anglican works and early puritan works to find how often they give a spelling that does not include a j. H is substituted instead. In one page I found four instances where we would use j but they did not. J was only used in the word prejudice.

I suspect the Authorized Translation of 1611 provided some stability to the English language. For a long period of time it was common to all English speakers.

I understand the spelling changes are even more radical in the Holland tongue then in English.


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