Spelling reform in Tudor England: dialogues, debates and political frames

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on the Tudor orthographers John Hart (c.1501–1574), Thomas Smith (1513–1577) and Richard Mulcaster (c.1531–1611), this paper shows that their linguistic treatises on spelling constitute dialogues that are heavily informed by current political thoughts. It attempts to reveal how the ideas of commonwealth (especially, absolute monarchy and limited monarchy) are employed by the orthographers to frame their envisioning of an ideal spelling system. The linguistic texts are analysed in the specific political context of the period, and they are approached from a comparative perspective in order to highlight the dialogical elements that underpin the debates. In doing so, the paper clarifies the identity of the intentionally anonymised interlocutors and emphasises the rhetorical power of dialogue in the Renaissance period.