Posted by David Bamford on June 27, 2004 at 22:57:52 from 203.10.110.132 user David.
In Reply to: aye aye, Sir - today posted by Ed Kiser on June 27, 2004 at 21:15:44:
Whenever I read accounts of some activity in the Eighteenth Century [e.g. Cook's or Flinders' explorations] I am struck with the variations of spelling, even within the one document. Obviously one has to conclude that spelling was not the fixed thing that we consider it to be today, with our profusion of dictionaries to make sure that we get it right. In addition, the number of people who could actually read and write was quite small, which would contribute to a variation in the way ideas are expressed. Truly, I suspect that "It depended on which school you went to!"
David.