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This book, which is based on a symposium held at the University of Stavanger in November 2021, explores how orthographic conventions reflect identity across certain languages and historical periods, from the early Middle Ages up to the present day. It contains ten contributions, which are divided into three sections, covering English, Nordic languages (Icelandic and Norwegian), and constructed languages respectively.
The English section contains four articles ranging from eighth-century runic inscriptions on the Ruthwell Cross to fifteenth-century manuscripts that showcase distinctive regional spellings. These studies reveal how unique orthographic choices reflect the linguistic identities of communities and individuals, particularly in terms of geography and social factors. A final English-focused study examines the evolution of name spellings over centuries, tying orthographic changes to broader concepts of identity.
The five studies in the Nordic section cover Icelandic and Norwegian language history, with attention to onomastics and orthographic conventions as markers of cultural identity. Medieval Icelandic and Norwegian manuscripts reveal two separate writing traditions, despite minimal linguistic differences between the regions. The papers in this section also highlight Icelandic Enlightenment efforts to modernize spelling while retaining medieval elements, contrasting this with Norwegian naming trends in the nineteenth century, when names were increasingly adapted to align with national identity. The section closes by examining Norwegians' attachment to placename spellings, reflecting cultural and personal identity ties to family heritage and linguistic history.
There is one article in the final section that delves into constructed languages in fiction, particularly Klingon, Elvish, and imagined forms of English. It discusses orthographic representations in these languages in the Latin script, helping an English-speaking audience understand how the creators intended them to sound and function as unique linguistic identities within fictional contexts.
Through its detailed historical and cultural analyses, the book highlights how spelling choices serve as expressions of identity across diverse languages and periods. This work contributes to the fields of historical linguistics, orthography and sociolinguistics, with a primary audience of linguists, language historians, and scholars of cultural studies interested in the intersections of language, identity, and orthography.
