Abstract
The paper deals with a comparison of the use of selected litterae in the seven texts of the Middle English verse sermon Poema Morale (henceforth PM) using an experimental computer-assisted method. The analysis focuses on the reflexes of OE ⟨c⟩ and ⟨g⟩, both of which are connected with the process of palatalization.
The objectives of the study are to identify common features and differences of the seven spelling systems, distinguishing between differences in the presumed sound value and alternative representations of the same sound. There is also a methodological objective of testing the computer programme designed for spelling analysis.
The analysis is based on data available in LAEME. The texts of the PM are first pre-processed partly drawing on the method proposed by McMahon and Maguire (2012) which consists in the identification of "slots" in individual types in the corpus.
The result is a searchable database of litterae linked to the original data from LAEME. A list of pre-selected litterae (i.e. ⟨k, c, g, ᵹ⟩ and litterae appearing in the same positions) is then used to retrieve a list of all types in which any of the litterae appear.
These items are categorised according to the expected development of the original OE consonants /k/ and /ɣ/. This provides comprehensive quantitative data showing the frequency of different litterae appearing in the relevant positions in each category, which serves as the core material for an interpretation of the spelling systems.