Fire and Steel: An Elizabethan Political Pamphlet

 Greetings,

Today, I published a recreation of an Elizabethan political pamphlet entitled "Fire and Steel: Or; Of Devices Using That Villainous Saltpetre and the Degradation of the Art of Defence". It is available for your download by clicking on the title. This was written for my amusement and to practice my writing of the Elizabethan language, using the spelling and grammar of that period. It was also an exercise in writing to a particular format, that of the political pamphlet.

Unlike our modern political pamphlets which are usually a single piece of paper, sometimes double-sided, the Elizabethan political pamphlet was an essay of some length, published in quarto size, with a full argument described within its pages. This allowed the writer of the pamphlet the full range to discuss their argument and allow their point of view to be made known. There was quite a period in which this form of communication was quite popular and you can find more information from the Wikipedia page, here.

For many people in our modern age these pamphlets would qualify as an essay, or even a small book, but in this age the printed word was the prime source of communication. There was not social media where a person's opinion about subjects was immediately broadcast to the world in a split-second. The pages had to be printed by hand, and the spread around, often by the individual. Most of these were addressed to someone important to gain some authority behind their argument, and also gain some attention.

In my case I used the persona names of individuals in the medieval and Renaissance group that I am a member of, the SCA. I used the subject of firearms on the field of combat, as it is a subject which would have been of concern in the Elizabethan period, and is somewhat of a subject of concern in the SCA, at least to some. I personally think they are just a part of the game that we play like many other things, but they were a suitable subject. It was a useful project and it allowed me to exercise my language abilities which was nice.

Cheers,

Henry.

Mercutio's Speech: An Analysis

“More than the prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he’s the

courageous captain of compliments. He fights as

you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance and

proportion; his rests his minim rests, one, two,

and the third in your bosom. The very butcher of

a silk button, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman

of the very first house, of the first and second

cause. Ah, the immortal passado! The punto

reverso! The hay!” (Mercutio)

Romeo and Juliet Act II, scene iv, lines 19 -26

          Mercutio’s speech in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one which is well-known, especially by those who are familiar with the play. For actors the role of Mercutio is a dream role due to the breadth of the character and the passion which the character evokes. This short monologue is one of the most striking and most famous of his sets of lines throughout the play. This is a discussion of this particular speech and a possible different point of view as to how it is has previously been portrayed.

          The speech is Mercutio addressing the subject of Tybalt in an attempt to explain to Benvolio about him and the reason why Romeo would have no chance in a duel against him. Most often this speech is portrayed by the actor playing Mercutio as sarcastic remarks about Tybalt or joking about how skilled he is with his weapon. Often this is because those who are reading the part of Mercutio do not understand some of the language which is presented in this speech. Thus some explanation of this will be given.

Tybalt the Swordsman

            Having the advantage of experience in Renaissance martial arts means that the jargon which appears in this passage has the advantage of understanding what Mercutio is talking about. Some of these are elementary to all forms of fencing.

The first three terms he uses, time, distance and proportion are the foundation of fencing and indeed all martial arts. Time refers to the use of actions and that every action takes a certain amount of time, and also that each action may be performed in response to the action of the opponent, after, at the same time or to intercept their action. This relates to proportion which is another word for timing which means performing an action at the appropriate time. Distance is ensuring that the fencer is at the appropriate distance to both perform their own actions and to receive those of the opponent.

The next set of terms are terms for particular actions which were used in association with the use of the sword, and in particular the rapier. The passado, or passata, was a passing step which was sometimes accompanied by an attack, one foot passing the other dramatically increasing the distance moved. The punto reverso, or punta riversa, is a thrusting attack which for the right-hander originates on the fencers right side and is directed against the opponent’s right side, usually attacking the outside line of the opponent, thus moving around the opponent’s weapon with the assistance of footwork, a large step to the right of the opponent. The hay, or hai, is a direct thrust through the opponent, thus a finishing blow.

For Tybalt to be trained to know the foundation elements means that he is obviously trained, that he knows the other skills means that he is also trained in an Italian system because they are from the Italian school. This is significant, if one examines that Shakespeare was writing for an English audience who would know that the attention of an Italian fencing master would cost a lot.

Tybalt the Gentleman

With the fencing terminology explained an examination of the other language is also useful to further discuss the praise which Mercutio is heaping on to Tybalt. He calls Tybalt the “captain of compliments” alluding to him being well-spoken, as the first thing that he says about him. Later on in the speech he also states that he is a gentleman who would not fight without a cause, “a gentleman of the very first house, of the first and second cause.”

Mercutio then starts discussing his fighting ability saying that he “fights as you prick-song”. Prick-song is written music, so in other words he fights as easily as you sing and read music, a skill any gentleman of the period should have. Mercutio then discusses the tactical capabilities of Tybalt in the statement, “his rests his minim rests, one, two, and the third in your bosom.” He states that he uses his skill that he will set his opponent up and strike him with the third in the body. “The very butcher of a silk button,” alludes to his accuracy, that he could take the buttons off his opponent’s jacket.

A Deeper Discussion

With this deeper discussion and explanation of the terms and ideas put forward by Mercutio in his speech, it is clear that he is actually heaping praise on Tybalt. That he is called the “Prince of Cats” could allude to his second position in the Capulet house and their heraldry, and also his movement with a weapon, but such is supposition. What is evident by what is presented here is that Mercutio is stating a lot of positive things about Tybalt even though he really does not have to. More so, he is discussing with Benvolio why Romeo should not duel with Tybalt, so it is likely that Mercutio would be serious rather than joking or sarcastic.

The misinterpretation of Mercutio’s speech demonstrates why as in all cases of previous texts, the elements of the text need to be examined from the point of view of their origin rather than a modern point of view when examining them. Otherwise impressions are imposed upon the texts which are not present in the text and a deviant view of the text is then presented, as can be seen by the multiple portrayals of Mercutio’s speech as joking or sarcastic. Care needs to be taken so that the author’s intent remains.

Yes... Finally an Update

Greetings,

It has been much too long since I updated on the project which started this blog in the first place, so for those who are keeping track I have some information for you. There is also an extra bit of what I have been doing which is related to the overall project, mostly, but also related to other bits and pieces.

So, in my previous I indicated that version 2 of both the modern and Elizabethan forms of my fencing manual had been completed. I sent these off to an interested party to have a read of them. As expected there was some feedback about this and where I was going with it. The result of this was that I have completed a version 3 of the modern version. This was for more clarity in what was being spoken about and for more precision, less wordy so to speak. This was also a bit more modernising of the text also.

I have sent this off again to some interested people for review of the text, one for how it reads and the other for content to make sure that I have all my fencing bits and pieces all written properly and that there are no horrible breaches of fencing theory. Hopefully this means that there will be a final minor edit if nothing else just to polish a bit. Yes, it means that the end is in sight. The only real complication to this would be that it may require some changes in the Elizabethan version.

With this in sight there is the question of how this will be all made public when it is all completed. My initial thought was to simply give access to a .pdf or similar of the text for free. However, after some long thought and discussion with various people, I have made a decision that I will see if I can get it published in a hard-copy. This will more than likely be self-published. I think that this will give the best presentation of the text in the end.

In other news I have been slowly transcribing from the .pdf version of the 1595 version of Giacomo di Grassi's His True Art of Defence. Initially this was for my own purposes and convenience. It is much easier to cut and paste from a Word document than it is to troll through the .pdf every time that I needed a quote. I am not sure at this stage what I will be doing with this once it is finished. Various pieces of it has appeared on my fencing blog over the past months, however I think it should also be presented complete. Exactly how I will be doing this is something I am still thinking about. I have also considered changing it all into Modern English for people's convenience, however once again this is just a proposal with much thought required.

So this is what has been happening. The end is in sight. I do not think that this will be the end of this blog however, as I feel that there will be other pertinent subjects which will arise. Just have to wait and see for a lot of it I suppose.

Cheers,

Henry.

Version 2 Complete - Progress Update - 12 March 2014

Greetings,

Well it looks like I have come to the end, or at least for now. I have completed the version 2 of both the modern version and Elizabethan version of my fencing manual. I am hoping that sometime in the not too distant future that I will be able to post links to both versions on this blog for your reading, however that will not be today. I also have no doubts in my mind that this project is not finished and that there will be a version 3 of this project produced.

It has been an interesting process from version 1 to version 2. In many ways the most interesting step was the divergence element which I have noted previously. This is the point where there was a distinct divergence between the modern version and the period version. The modern version began to take more the shape of a lesson book with diagrams and information in a more easily digestible form including diagrams of elements of the manual. The period version on the other hand, developed more complexity in the language and also distinct changes in grammar and typesetting. This means that the words in the one are quite definitively not the same words as in the other, however they do both deliver the same information.

This difference in form though similarity in intent is the reason why this project was started in the first place. There are many people who shy away from sources of the medieval and Renaissance periods because the language is different from the modern. The information on many subjects is there just waiting to be found within the pages of these documents but the language and its format often scares people away from using it. It is this fear that was the original reason that this project was started.

This project is designed to present two manuals which describe the same things, but using different language, one older than the other. This was to demonstrate that while the language may be different the information which is found in it is the same. Rather than having to work out how weapons were used from some guess-work we can read what was written in the period, the trick here is to find familiarity with the language and this project was designed to do just that. The fact that it taught me a lot about the Elizabethan language and Early Modern English in the process which I was able to present in this blog was just a bonus.

Cheers,

Henry.

EE Version 2 - Progress Update - 2 March 2014

Greetings,

Just a short one to say that I have finished Book One of the Elizabethan English (EE) Version 2 of the project and will soon be moving on to Book Two. I can say one thing for sure and that is that the EE version of this manual is taking its time and that is good because it means I should be able to do a reasonable job at it. It is most definitely a "process" thing.

1. Remove heading and change it to the standard font and centre it.
2. Read through and edit the section changing the language or at least the words in to words closer to the ones of the period.
3. Formatting 1. Change the font of the entire section to a more period one. Insert Drop Cap for the first letter of the section and make sure the formatting is good. Add headers where required.
4. Ligatures. These are jointed characters used in the original formats of the printed word in the Elizabethan period, the addition of these adds to the "flavour" of the printing present.
5. Formatting 2. Alignment, making sure that the ends of the lines are at least close to even, this involves hyphenation. Follow-on words from the end of each page to the beginning of the next page. These are a feature of many documents of the period.

So, 5 steps to transferring the PDE to the EE versions. Most of this has to be done manually as the formatting is a little tricky and there are some font issues. In essence this is making it so the EE version is taking quite a bit longer than I thought, hence my gap in posting. I am hoping that I will at least have all the singular sections done by the end of the month, and hopefully even a completed version, but that will be a "wait and see" sort of thing.

Cheers,

Henry.

EE Version 2 - Progress Update - 9 February 2014

Greetings,

This will no doubt be a very short update. I have completed Version 2 of the PDE version of the manual and sent it off to be read and comments given back. I have also started on Version 2 of the EE version of the manual, and one thing is for sure and that it is going to take quite a bit longer than the PDE version. The PDE version was simply adding some headings, images and fixing some of the wording, the EE version is quite a bit more in-depth than that.

The language is the first part of the process and that is to turn the language backward to its earlier form. This requires reading through the manual and re-wording modern expressions into Elizabethan ones. It also involves removing modern terms and expressions and replacing them with Elizabethan ones. This only one place where the concept of "divergence" really comes into play. I would not be surprised if there is a Version 3 involving further changes to the language.

The next part is formatting. For the modern version that meant adding sub-headings and shortening paragraphs. For this Elizabethan version it means adding drop cap letters for the beginning of each section, ensuring that each page is justified correctly so that the ends of the lines are at least close to lining up, making sure that the follow-on words are present at the end of each page where it is required, and working on the headers to make sure that they are correct. Part of the formatting is changing the font, and that is another question altogether.

It is not just merely changing the font from a modern font to an Elizabethan looking font. There is also making sure that the sizing is correct for the page as compared to headings and footers and so forth. It is also adding ligatures where they are present in the font in order to change things as much as they can. I am using JSL Ancient as the primary font for changing it, unfortunately there is the missing "long s" issue, but only in a single case, in the ligatures it is present. I am hoping that the replacement is sufficient enough to cover this particular deficiency, or that I may be able to find a replacement. For the most part I am hoping that the average reader just won't notice.

There is the question of images with regard to this EE version and I have not decided yet what I will do about this. I would have to either hand-draw the images, something I am not particularly good at, or hope that I can do them electronically and give the final product the best final look. I will give this due consideration and make a decision about it later on.

The process of change from modern to Elizabethan is taking its time and I am fully expecting that this part will take some time to get right. It sure is not as easy as the PDE version and that is for sure. Updates will be written as I get to places where they are appropriate.

Cheers,

Henry.

Modern Version 2 Edited - Progress Update - 2 February 2014

Greetings,

Well I have gone through and completed editing in order to form version 2 of the modern version of the manual. The next bit will be to assemble it in its entirety and then work on the formatting. Make sure all the pagination is correct and things are where they are supposed to be.

The editing process was not all that hard considering the original was written in Present Day English (PDE), so in many ways it was actually doing the reverse of what I have done for the Elizabethan English (EE) version. In this case it was to modernise it, to remove some of the older expressions which I used to prod my way toward the EE version and make it more readable for the modern audience. I am getting to the situation that while the EE version will be of use to some the PDE will be read a lot more. This will no doubt be because it will be far easier to read and also to understand.

Part of the process of modernisation included shortening of paragraphs so that it was easier to read. This meant that the reader now gets the information in shorter, sharper pieces rather than the longer discourse of the EE version. This process also included the addition of headings and sub-headings, once again for easier reading of the text and immediate reference to exactly what the section is about. This was designed to transform the text into a more useable format for the reader, so that the information presented can be used in a practical sense.

The other major part of the process was the inclusion of diagrams in parts of the text to specifically point out what is being indicated. These are modern diagrams, developed by myself for the most part, designed to give a graphical representation of some of the words which were written. There are further diagrams that I would have liked to have added however either I was not able to access "free access" version or did not have the skill to produce them myself. This is going to prove the truly interesting part should I decide to include images in the EE version.

My plan is to assemble Version 2 of the PDE version in the next couple of weeks. The next part of the process will be to move on to Version 2 of the EE version, which I think is actually going to be a more tricky prospect as I have intention of doing much the same as I have for the PDE version, but making more appropriate to the period for which I have been aiming. The images are going to be really tricky quite frankly.

Cheers,

Henry.

Divergence - Progress Update 16 January 2013

Greetings,

As anyone following this blog will know, version one of the fencing manual was completed a little while ago. Now it is time for further changes to be made to both the modern and Elizabethan versions of this project. For the most part the biggest change between the modern and Elizabethan versions made in version one was a conversion of spellings and also of punctuation. No grammar was really altered and really only the major punctuation was affected. Moving forward will result in divergence between the modern and Elizabethan manuals.

In the case of the modern version, this will be a process of change toward a more usable format. This means the addition of headings and subheadings for starters in the manual in order that there are not great blocks of text for the reader to deal with. In such technical manuals such as this one smaller blocks of information are much more readily usable for the reader. Further on in this version there will also be an addressing of some of the expression and other more grammatical elements, once again to make it more accessible to the reader.

In the case of the Elizabethan version, the processes involved in change will be, for the most part, focusing on grammatical elements and sentence structures. The punctuation is only one element in the reading of the manual, grammar also has a large part to play in order for this manual to be "Elizabethanized". No doubt there will also be further spelling and punctuation changes in the process of change.

What is going to result is quite a striking divergence between the modern and Elizabethan versions of the manual. While the core elements and teachings of both will remain the same, thus the content remains the same, the format and language elements will change quite markedly. There is no doubt that version one will be the real time where the two versions of this manual will seem the most similar and that big changes will be happening in the process of furthering this project.

Cheers,

Henry.

Progress Update - Book One Complete - 17 December 2013

Greetings,

Today, I completed Book One. The manual has been divided into two "books", in much the same way that Saviolo divided his. The more practical aspects of using the rapier are in the first book and the more social aspects with regard to combats and so forth are found in the second book. For my next update, I will be shortening the list below using only the heading for Book One, rather than listing the elements of the book already found below.

Title Page
Epistle Dedicatory
Author's Epistle to Various Noblemen
Author's Epistle to the Gentle Reader
Book One:
Theory:
    Principles
    Time
    Distance
    Lines
    Engagement
    Practice
Practical:
    Of Wards
    Footwork
    Defense:
         Void
         Parry
         Combination

    Attack:

         Thrust

         Cut

         The Attack

    Blade Engagement

    Time:

          In Time

          Priority

          Double

          Single Time

          Counter Time

          Half-Time

     Closes and Gripes

     Reading the Opponent

     Application - Wounds

Sundry Notes:

     Advantage of the Circle Over the Line

     Single Against All

     The Left-Hander

     True and False Arts

What is presented at the moment in what I have done is only the first version of this process. I have intentions of editing and further enhancing both versions of the manual in order to present them at their best. I have no doubt that the result of the change in language through grammar especially will change a lot of the language and thus demonstrate a clear difference between the two. The presentation of both together in a single manual is designed to give the reader access to both forms, thus increasing the familiarity with Elizabethan English and thus hopefully this will allow greater access to "period" manuals to more enthusiasts not only of the rapier but other areas.

Cheers,

Henry

Progress Report - 15 December 2013

Greetings,

This is another production progress report for the translation of the Present Day English fencing treatise into Elizabethan English. I have merely added to the previous update rather than just doing what I have done recently this way it has a little bit of context. I am getting closer and closer to finishing Book One, once this is finished I will be shortening the progress report.

Title Page
Epistle Dedicatory
Author's Epistle to Various Noblemen
Author's Epistle to the Gentle Reader
Book One:
Theory:
    Principles
    Time
    Distance
    Lines
    Engagement
    Practice
Practical:
    Of Wards
    Footwork
    Defense:
         Void
         Parry
         Combination

    Attack:

         Thrust

         Cut

         The Attack

    Blade Engagement

    Time:

          In Time

          Priority

          Double

          Single Time

          Counter Time

          Half-Time

     Closes and Gripes

     Reading the Opponent

     Application - Wounds

I am currently working on the Sundry Notes which is the final part of Book One. It has only three elements in it so I expect that I should be getting close to finishing Book One reasonably soon. Once I have completed this the updates will only include what I have done from Book Two rather than the entire lot. Once it is all completed, then there will be an update with the lot for Version 1.

Cheers,

Henry.

Progress Report - 2 December 2013

Greetings,

I thought I would give a short, and rather un-detailed progress report for my slow and steady "translation" of my fencing manual from Present Day English to Elizabethan English.

For the first version, and I expect that there will be a couple before I am happy, the introductory parts are done:

Title Page
Epistle Dedicatory
Author's Epistle to Various Noblemen
Author's Epistle to the Gentle Reader

Book One:
Theory:
    Principles
    Time
    Distance
    Lines
    Engagement
    Practice
Practical:
    Of Wards
    Footwork
    Defense:
         Void
         Parry
         Combination

I am in the process of doing the Attack part of this section at the moment. I will give further updates as I progress for all those who are interested. I am actually of two minds as to whether or not I will present some of the work for a "taste" here, but as I am dedicating this to a particular individual I would think that it would be better for me to ask this individual first as to whether this would be "politic" or whether I should wait until the final product is complete before making any of the actual manual public. I will have a think about this and see what happens.

Cheers,

Henry.

Production Commenced!

Greetings,

I have been going on with this research now for about 3 years, and for the most part, to this current date, the research has come to an end. What does this mean? No more blogs? End of the series? No actually, I think that there will be more blogs in this series as I continue to learn more about the language. For me it means something much bigger.

The bigger thing is that I have started production of my "period" manual. This is a manual based on my own acquired fencing knowledge, written in Present Day English (PDE) and then "translated" into Elizabethan English (EE). The reason for this project has already been discussed in some of my earliest posts on this blog, however, it could be useful to give a reminder.

One of the things that I have noticed studying Historical European Martial Arts is that there are a lot of practitioners who, especially in their earlier years, are afraid of going near sources of the period they are studying. For the most part this is due to fear of the language and the differences, this is even the case when discussing those manuals which are written in English, admittedly earlier versions, but still English. This project was designed to address at least part of that problem.

There are three significant treatises which were written in the 1590s: Vincentio Saviolo's (1595) His Practice in Two Books, Giacomo di Grassi's (1594) His True Arte of Defence and finally George Silver's (1599) Paradoxes of Defense. Interestingly these are written in EE, but English nonetheless. My choice was to examine EE of the 1590's in order that I could understand these manuals better, as a result "translate" a manual from PDE to EE and present them side-by-side in order that the EE may be more accessible due to the lack of "noise" between the two manuals.

"Noise" is what happens when something is translated from one language to another, and across a time period does count. This is because the person in the modern period who is translating the older text is not the author and as such does not know exactly what the author's intent was in the writing. This results in "noise" which can reduce understanding of the original and result in misinterpretations of the intent of the original author. By writing both of the manuals it is my intent to reduce this "noise" as much as I can.

I expect that this project will take some time to complete. There will no doubt be updates, and possibly even a preview of my work presented here, for those who are interested. I am expecting at least two versions if not more in order to get this as correct as I can. I am also expecting quite a few bumps and blocks in the process of this production, but I feel that the end result will be worth the effort put in.

Cheers,

Henry. 

Language Rules Based on Personal Research

Greetings,

What is presented below is my list of rules, actually more accurately conventions, for spelling and word forms in the Elizabethan language. There are some important points which must be made before this is presented in order to clarify what is presented below.

The first point is that I do understand that there is research already done on this particular subject in a more general way. However, this research is clearly focused on the specific time period, dialect and form of the language which is presented, thus I believe that in some ways this presents a clearer picture of this specific part of the language.

The second point is that all of the research presented below is based upon the words presented in my lexicon of the language rather than any external sources. What this means is that this is based on a selection of the language rather than the entirety of it. This means that the rules are more specific to the language presented in the lexicon rather than any part which is not.

The third point is that these rules are, for the most part, presented in note form rather than paragraphs about the elements. This is important as any misunderstandings must be re-read and remembered that they are based upon what is presented.

Finally it is this set of rules and the lexicon on which I will be basing the final project upon which all of the research up to this point in time is based. It is hoped that with this information a reasonably accurate representation of the Elizabethan language of the 1590's will be formed and presented.

Elizabethan Language – Own Research

Foundation

Above all rules below, phonetic spelling of word is greatest consideration, rules then phonetics. The spelling was founded in speaking the words and thus the phonetics are most considered, following this would be the rules below, most of which are founded more in the typesetting of the print than actual spelling.

Most important of all these rules apply to printed works rather than hand-written or spoken texts, hence the importance of typesetting in the rules. Of note is also that this is for the London Dialect of Elizabethan English of the decade of the 1590s.

Use of “S”

General

Capitals always stay as “S”

“s” at end of word, or before punctuation mark e.g. “abus’de”

“Significant” words begin with “s” e.g. “skil” and “skirmiſh” most likely for emphasis

Use “ſ” in middle of word, or at the beginning of the word, not generally at the end

Specific instances of use will follow

Not replaced where “s” is before “f”, i.e. “-sf”

Plurals

Simple case of the addition of “-s” to the end of the root word, very few exceptions to this rule

Plural form of “-f” to “-ves” e.g. “wolf – wolves” remains the same

Plural form of “-y” to “ies” is followed in some circumstances and not others, in some cases the “-y” remains and followed with “-es”, some of this could be due to the “i” to “y” and vice versa convention.

Possessives

Absence of apostrophe to mark ownership

Plural conventions used for the addition of “-s”

No difference between singular and plural ownership indicators

Double “S”

In most instances a double “s” will have both changed to “long s”

Some instances a double “s” the first is changed the second is not i.e. “ſs”

No clear convention as to when the change is or is not made, however it is most common when followed by “-ing” or “-ion” or “-ity” ending

More than likely a typesetting rather than spelling convention

-ness

Two common endings “-nes” and “neſſe”

Both endings may be used on the same word

Typesetting rather than spelling convention

-less

Two common endings “-les” and “leſſe”

Both endings may be used on the same word

Typesetting rather than spelling convention

“S” and “C”

Phonetic spelling, change between “s” and “c” in the spelling is not constant, it is an individual determination

Also instances of additional change in words to accommodate change in spelling e.g. “decide” to “diſcide”.

“S” and “Z”

Both interchangeable in most instances

“s” in modern may be “z” in Elizabethan or vice versa

In most instances the consideration is phonetic rather than a typesetting consideration as there is evidence of other letters changing to accommodate the letter.

“E”

Some words have an extra “e” placed on the end, only after a consonant, possibly to extend the sound of a vowel or vowels in the middle of the word, most likely a typesetting consideration

“E” and “I”

Change from “em-” to “im-” and also “en-” to “in-”, for phonetic considerations

Also evidence of no change in some words with the these beginnings

Some change of “e” and “i” in the middle of words for phonetic change, however this does not always occur, could be typesetting or phonetic cause.

“I” and “Y”

Conventions not solid for the most part, very flexible in the use of the conventions. More likely to be typesetting conventions than spelling conventions

“i” to “y” in middle of word, not always, a vowel before is common

“y” to “i” in middle of word, rare but present

“ie” to “y” at end of word, not always

“y” to “ie” at end of word, not always

“y” to “ye” at end of word, not always

“J” and “I”

“j” to “i” in the middle of words, most instances

Roman numerals – last “i” to “j”

“j” to “i” at beginning of words, most instances, especially where a capital

(more research required: not distinct due to Latin derivation)

“L”

May be doubled where single in modern spelling, applies to middle as well as the end

May be single where doubled in modern spelling, especially in cases where a plural is formed, or ending added. Cases for both middle and end of word.

“U” and “V”

“v” to “u” in the middle of a word e.g. above – aboue

“v” remains unchanged at the beginning of the word

“u” to “v” changed at the beginning of a word

“u” remains unchanged in the middle of a word

The exception is in the title of a piece in which “u” is changed to “v” in the title where it is placed in capitals of any form

“W”

Instances of “vv” instead of “w” very much interchangeable

Typesetting consideration rather than any spelling, ligature or single letter used

Verb Forms

“To Do”

Both “-s” and “-eth” forms used on words

Some verbs may use different endings

Some instances of “-est” rather than “-eth”

Both forms used, newer form is less prevalent than older form, but increasing in presence

Archaic Endings

The archaic forms of verbs are present in the language, but are increasingly losing ground to more modern forms of the words

The form of the language depends in the subject and author

As with many spellings, many of these are dependent on typesetting as much as anything else

“-ed”, “-d” and “-t”

The past tense ending “-ed” may be replaced by “-d”, “-‘d” or “-t”

In some instances it may also be replaced by “-de”

The use of “-t” is mostly phonetic following “sh”, “ch” or “k”

While mostly phonetic there is an element of typesetting consideration present in this convention

Simple addition for past tense of word

Truncated Words

Truncations otherwise unspecified below are to do with spelling conventions of words, or lack thereof in most instances rather than deliberate truncation of words for a purpose.

Use of ~

Truncation using tilde (~) is for the replacement of “n” or “m”

The previous vowel has the tilde above it.

The replacement of “n” is more common than “m”

In the case of a double “m” or “n” the vowel before has the tilde and then it is followed by a single “m” or “n” depending on the word

No definitive choice where there is more than one either “m” or “n” in the word, this is clearly more of a typesetting choice for even lines in the document than any spelling or pronunciation factors

The vowel “i” is not used for vowel for truncation, other vowels all are

The most common vowels are “e” and “o”

Truncation using tilde is used both in the middle of words and also at the end

Use of ‘

Primary truncation is the removal of “e” in “ed” words

Other words truncated, primarily removal of “e”, but also “i” or “v” in “over-“ words

“E” sometimes accompanied by consonant in removal

Primary purpose is typesetting in prose, thus little to do with pronunciation or spelling, however can be used to change pronunciation and rhythm in poems and plays

“-ered” to “-red”

The removal of “e” following a consonant with past tense use e.g. “dismembered” to “dismembred”.

In some cases an apostrophe is used, as previously indicated, but in most cases it is not

This truncation is most likely due to typesetting, but does also change pronunciation

Ending Doubles

Double consonant at end of words in some cases. Short words ending in vowels extended by doubling phonetic compatible consonant. Ending doubles are more typesetting than spelling consideration, extending words in order to keep the ends of the lines even.

I hope that this is of use to people in their own endeavours. I considered cleaning this up and presenting it better, but decided that it is better presented as it is rather than in more formal language. These are rather loose rules of the language and should be used with some knowledge of more formal rules presented in reputable sources. It is only through the examination of the language ourselves that we can really get a feel for it, rather than simply following along with rules and theories presented by others. Needless to say that I will be using the rules presented here along with research already presented to present the language in a close form to what it would have been in the period.

Cheers,

Henry.

Lexicon Update and Research Update

Greetings,

In my last post I posted a link to my newly created lexicon for the 1590s, well I have had another look through this document and made some changes, some subtle, some not so subtle. As a result there is a new version available for your interest. This newer version is available here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32538238/Lexicon%20V2.pdf This document is free to use as reference material, however it would be appreciated if due credit was given where it is due for the origination of this document as there is several years invested in it.

I have been in the process of discovering rules about the spelling of the language and how the words were used. I do realise that much of this research has already been completed for Early Modern English and also Elizabethan English, however I decided that I needed such research done for the particular time and dialect which is the focus of the study. The result of this will be some elements which are very much the same as what has already been posted here, and there will also no doubt be some areas in which there are elements which are unique to the time and dialect which has been chosen. I will probably post this new research in blocks in order to keep up to date here, however this is a consideration dependent on how the research proceeds.

This a short post merely for updating how things are proceeding in the research. I am hoping to present something more substantial soon. I dare not place a time estimate on this due to the nature of the research being conducted. I hope that the next update will be sooner rather than later.

Cheers,

Henry.

Lexicon Complete and Update

Greetings,

The Elizabethan Lexicon which I have been working on as a partner to the language project which is found here, and I have indicated is complete, or at least in its first version. If you are interested in accessing this document for your own personal use it can be accessed here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32538238/Lexicon%20V1.pdf

With this part of the project completed for the most part, at least for now, it is possible to examine the words found within the lexicon for commonalities. Through these commonalities "rules" should emerge as to the spellings of them, and also the forms of the words. These can then form "rules" which could allow for the "translation" of Modern to Elizabethan English.

As the language, as indicated in previous posts, was in a process of change these "rules" can only be very general. While these rules may only a general indication as to the form of the words of the language, it is still useful to get an overall understanding of the forms of the words and how they are constructed. Some of these rules have already been indicated in previous posts on this blog, however, I feel it is important that I do my own discovery of the rules as the ones which I have found. These rules will also be more specific to the lexicon as it is presented rather than Early Modern English or Elizabethan English, as broad background reference points.

Once I have more information with regard to these rules and their form and complexity, this will make the decision as to whether I will publish these rules as individual posts or as a single complete post. The second version of the lexicon may also include these rules as part of the reference material found within it. Needless to say, either way that it goes, some form of these rules will be found on these pages.

Cheers,

Henry.

The End of the Collection Process

Greetings,

Having completed the collection process for de Loque's (1591) Discourses of War and Single Combat, I have come to the conclusion that with the six period sources of various types that I have used, that the lexicon is suitably complete. I do understand that there are more sources from the 1590s that could be included in the lexicon, however at this stage, in order to move forward with the overall project, I think that the lexicon is suitably complete. There are 98 pages of lexemes present in the lexicon, covering some approximately 5,000 lexemes, some with more than one spelling of the word. I believe that this lexicon, while it could continue to increase is suitably large to cover the period of the 1590s at this stage.

The procedure in order to move forward at this stage is to assemble the lexicon, adding the glossary and some secondary sourced lexemes along with their appropriate sources to be added to the bibliography. These will be included with appropriate explanations for the sources of the words and how they were come about. This lexicon will require some explanation as to its set-up and processes and as such the appropriate introductions and conclusions for the various parts of the lexicon. Once this is complete then further study of the language will be required.

The dream or ultimate goal in this process is to eventually attain rules for spelling, grammar and punctuation in order that the English language of the 1590s can be produced in some fashion, and being a reasonable replica of this language. Much of this information has been supplied in the various investigations which have been presented, but these need to be formed in to a more usable format  for the practical elements of the language to be accessible, and thus the ability to create language in a suitable fashion or at least a good facsimile of the language. This being the case it is hoped that more frequent updates will be possible.

Cheers,

Henry.

Collection Process

Greetings,

I thought it would be useful to describe my collection technique for the words which I am putting into my lexicon. This will enable people to understand the process of word collection and see that I am not just collecting them from random sources claiming to be from the correct period. The process which follows has four steps involved in it.

The first step is to select the source from which the words are to come. The original stipulation for documents to qualify was that they had to come from the period of Elizabeth I's reign, however I have refined things a little more an am only using sources from the 1590's for a little more focus. In this document selection I aim to get as close to the original document as possible. A pdf format facsimile of the original is the best in this particular instance even if the readability is a little lacking in places.

The second step is to extract the words from the document. A special note needs to be made here that I am only extracting those words which are spelled differently from their modern counter-parts, have a different meaning from their modern counter-parts, or are what would be called "difficult" words, those which for the modern audience would cause issue. These words are first recorded in a hard-copy form, written to paper. First in a book and then on loose-leaf paper. The former for collection, the second to start collation. Once the two hard-copies are made they are then recorded in alphabetical order electronically under the title of the document. This is the longest part of the process.

The third step in the is to integrate these words into the lexicon, remembering to highlight those "difficult" words which have been found in the search. These words are stored alphabetically by the modern word. Once this process has been completed then I look for the definitions of the "difficult" words and those with different meanings additional or separate from their modern ones. These meanings are stored to be added into the lexicon later on.

This is a process which takes quite some time, hence this project continuing as long as it has. It is also for this reason that my updates which have been printed recently have such large gaps between them. Regardless, I hope that due to the time taken with this process that a reasonably accurate recording of the words from the period is made.

Cheers,

Henry.

Project Update 16/06/2013

Greetings,

I have recently finished both transferring the words from paper to electronic form for Chettle's (1592) Kind-Harts Dreame. The process of collecting and collating the words included transferring them into the lexicon which is being built from these words. Following this was to find those words which were unusual or difficult.

These unusual or difficult words were highlighted throughout the process in both paper and electronic form. This has been the case for all of the sources. Once the words have been identified their Elizabethan meanings were researched and recorded as a supplement to the lexicon. This allows for an understanding of those words which are difficult, unusual or have different meanings from the present day. The glossary will be added to the lexicon in the final product for the assistance of meaning.

The plan is to move on to the 1591 translation by Thomas Elyot of Discourses of War and Single Combat by B. de Loque. I am unsure of any completion date of this one as while it is relatively short at 40 pages, it is written in a Gothic script of the period and is thus going to be a little difficult to read even in the pdf version. I will give an update at some later date once some progress has been made.

Cheers,

Henry.

Project Update 15/5/2013

Greetings,

I have been working on Chettle (1592) Kind-Harts Dreame since my last post. Things have been going a little slower of late and it has taken longer than I expected. This is due to outside factors affecting the ability to record the words. I have recorded the words in the first draft from all of the pages.

The next part of the process is to finalise the second recording of the words, and then moving to put them into an electronic form. The final part of the process is to include these words into the lexicon which has been built using all of the sources used so far. After this it will be seeking my next source. Due to the lengths of the sources which are available, I would expect that there is going to be a bit of a gap between this and the next update, unless I come up with something significant while recording.

Cheers,

Henry.

Progressive Updates: An Explanation

Greetings,

You will have noticed, if you read the earliest articles on this blog that my aim was not merely an intellectual pursuit with regard to discovering Elizabethan English. My research has always been pointed toward a more practical end. The purpose of this study has always been to learn this language in order that I would be able to produce, or re-produce as the case may be, articles using the language which has been the focus of the discovery.

From this point forward the articles for this blog will be less of the formal nature which has been presented thus far, and more an accounting of my own research into Elizabethan English and notes toward the projects which I am engaged in. The intellectual investigation lays the foundation for the further pursuit of actually producing the language in order that it can be used and brought to the light. With regard to this I have my own particular focus in achieving this end as the earlier blogs would have indicated.

For anyone who has not read my profile, I have a deep and involved interest in Historical European Martial Arts and it is for the better understanding of the manuals of the Elizabethan period that I have embarked upon this particular rather long project. My particular favourite manual is on which was written in 1595 and published in England by a fellow by the name of Vincentio Saviolo. The shortened name of this manual is His Practice in Two Books. This manual investigates the use of the rapier alone and also the rapier and dagger in a combative situation, and also contains a second part of the manual dealing with duelling, or as he would put it "honor and honorable quarrels".

While the modern reader can read this manual and get and idea of what  Saviolo is discussing, certain expressions and explanations in the text are lost on the modern reader. This is compounded by unfamiliar words and technical jargon which are an integral part of this particular art. The investigation which is presented here is designed to allow me to better understand the language in which this manual was written in order that I can reproduce the actions which are presented and gain a better understanding of the social concepts which are described.

Further to this particular project, there is another of equal, in some instances greater, significance. In this I will be taking a manual which I have written and translating this into Elizabethan English. This manual is  based on my own experiences of the use of the rapier over the past approximately twenty years, and the social conventions with regard to its use, based on various historical research into the concepts along with my own understandings of it. These manuals will be presented side-by-side in order that the reader is able to see both the Present Day English and Elizabethan English presented. This is in order that they may understand the  language better and thus have less fear of and greater access to the manuals of the period.

The updates which are presented will be of varying length, and only with the regularity of the points of significance actually found in the process of the research. This serves a two-part function in that it allows me to see how my progress is going and also allows the reader to understand the processes which I am going through in order to achieve my end.

Cheers,

Henry.