DEN DYPE SKOGEN

MY ORÞOGRAPHY

As þou shalt undoubtedly notice, on þis site I like to write in an unorþodox writing style. I don't normally write þis way in my daily life; Only for creative purposez (In case þou wonderest). Generally speaking, I write þis way for þe purposes of invoking an ancient and/or fantasy æsþetic, and oþer timez simply because I like how it looks.

OLD LETTERZ

Þroughout þe site, þou shalt bare witness to old letterz such as Þorn (Þ/þ), Eð (Ð/ð) Ash (Æ/æ), Eþal (Œ/œ), Yogh (Ȝ/ȝ), and Ƿynn (Ƿ/ƿ). Þere are obviously oðer old letterz from earlier periods ov English (Such as Yogh and Wynn) but þe onez listed are þe onez I most commonly use.
Below lie brief explanations for þe use ov each:

Þ AND Ð

Þe use ov Þorn and Eð is primarily to replace "th" in wordz such as "thin," "that," "æsthetic," etc... Historically, in Old English, þese letters were used interchangeably, often wiþ preference for Þorn in initial positions and Eð for medial and final positions. From what I understand, þis is also þe case in Modern Icelandic.
Some folk today believe, incorrectly, þat Þorn was used to represent þe voiceless "th" sound in words such as "thin" and þat Eð was used to represent þe voiced sound in words like "that". Þere is no evidence, however, to suggest þat þis was the tradition in Old English orþography, and nor is it now þe current convention in Modern Icelandic. If þou wishest to use Þorn and Eð in þis way for þine own use, I þink þat's fine, but please keep in mind þat þat is not what was done historically, and is a modern invention.

Ƿ

Ƿynn ƿas used in Old English before þe adoption ov "W". I shall use it at timez to replace þe "W" ƿhen it makes phonemic sense, such as in ƿords like "word," but not in ƿords like "below" ƿhere it ƿould make no difference.

Ȝ

Yogh seems to have had a few different uses in þe Middle English period. I ƿill not go into all ov þem here. In my research, I've noticed þæt many modern ƿordz ƿhich are now spelled ƿiþ a silent "gh," such as "night", "light", "right", etc., ƿere at times spelled using Yogh, so for my purposes, I ƿill sometimes replace "gh" ƿiþ Yogh if it makes sense for þæt historical connection.

Æ AND Œ

Ash and Eþal are generally only used for words þat have been spelled wiþ þem historically, such as "æsthetic" and "phœnix."
Eþal is generally only used for words from French and Greek. Ash is generally only used for words from Latin, but, interestingly, Ash used to be a letter in Old English, and Ash is still used today in Modern Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic.
So, I have occasionally toyed wiþ þe idea ov also using Ash for inborn English wordz þat were once spelled wiþ it in Old English, such as "pæþ" (paþ) and "þæt" (þat). In such casez, Ash generally takes a similar sound as þe "a" in wordz as "fat" and "cat."

ALTERNATE SPELLINGZ

Sometimes I will spell wordz differently for purely stylistik reasonz þat have no roots in historical usage.

Z

Þe most common alternate spelling þou shalt notice is my opting for a "Z" ending instead of an "S" ending if it makes phonetic sense. For example: "godz" instead of "gods."

K

Similar explanation as for "Z." Sometimes a "C" will be swapped out in favor ov a "K" if it makes phonetic sense. For example: "kat" instead of "cat."

OV

Þis is simply a more phonetic spelling ov "Of." Þis can be sometimez seen in Black Metal.

ÞOU, ÞEE, ÞY, ÞINE, ETC.

Commonly associated with Shakespeare's work, þis is how English was spoken in þe Early Modern period. Þou canst easily find plenty ov guidez online þat shalt teach þee how to speak in þis style.

MIDDLE ENGLISH

I am by no means an expert on Middle English, but I ƿill at times use Middle English spellingz for a very olde-fashioned flavor.

ANGLISH

I do not write in Anglish, but I do take influence from it. If þou art unfamiliar, it is a movement þat seeks to construct a form ov Modern English wiþout all þe French and Latin loanwordz þat entered þe language due to þe Norman Conquest ov MLXVI (1066). For example, þou wouldst use "wordstock" instead ov "lexicon." I mention Anglish because I found it to be inspirational in þe construction of my own style ov English.

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