Secretary letter-shapes in County Durham
Jacob Thaisen
Abstract This paper applies quantitative methods in palaeography. It develops tree-structured regression models of the palaeographical variation found a synchronic corpus texts written orthographically less standardised late Middle English and establishes their accuracy. There are sixteen models, each one relating to letter-shape known distinguish Gothic cursive scripts Anglicana Secretary. The predict presence individual from or more following variables, no particular order: (1) localisation texts’ orthographic variation; (2) text-type; (3) in-word position. discussion asks why several Secretary letter-shapes cluster documents localisable County Durham area further north, given script’s association with (a) institutions national administration London-Westminster (b) standardisation. concludes that linguistics palaeography do not co-vary during this period history language suggests it may illuminate studies gradient between pay attention provincial centres, least Durham.
Folia Linguistica|Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo)