Edited by Päivi Pahta, Minna Nevala, Arja Nurmi and Minna Palander-Collin
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 195] 2010
► pp. 87–109
This paper discusses the formality of epistolary spellings in the correspondence of Elizabeth Montagu and Sarah Scott, eighteenth-century sisters of similar backgrounds yet different social positions. I examine their use of full vs contracted auxiliary verb forms, preterite and past participle spelling variants, and other epistolary contractions and abbreviations in four decades of correspondence. Contractions and abbreviations indicate the level of informality and intimacy in eighteenth-century epistolary spelling. Montagu’s social prominence appears to show even in intimate and familiar communication, whereas Scott’s less significant social standing might have provided more linguistic flexibility. Scott’s style was significantly more informal and leaning towards oral mode than Montagu’s, which suggests that her relative exclusion from the polite society influenced the level of formality in her spelling.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 10 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.