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For centuries there has been a movement to reform the spelling of English. It seeks to change English spelling so that it is more consistent, matches pronunciation better, and follows the alphabetic principle.〔David Wolman, ''Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling'' (HarperCollins, 2009).〕 Common motives for spelling reform include making the language easier to learn, making it more useful for international communication, or saving time, money and effort. Most spelling reform proposals are moderate; they use the traditional English alphabet, try to maintain the familiar shapes of words, and try to maintain common conventions (such as silent e). However, some proposals are radical and may involve adding letters and symbols or creating a new alphabet. Many reformers prefer a gradual change implemented in stages, while others favor an immediate and total reform. Some spelling reform proposals have been adopted partially or temporarily. Many of the spellings preferred by Noah Webster have become standard in the United States but have not been adopted elsewhere (see American and British English spelling differences). Harry Lindgren's proposal, SR1, was popular in Australia at one time. Spelling reform has rarely attracted widespread public support, sometimes due to organized resistance and sometimes due to lack of interest. There are linguistic arguments against reform; for example that the origins of words may be obscured. There are also many obstacles to reform: this includes the effort and money that may be needed to implement a wholesale change, the lack of an English language authority or regulator, and the challenge of getting people to accept spellings to which they are unaccustomed. ==History== Modern English spelling developed from about 1350 onwards, when—after three centuries of Norman French rule—English gradually became the official language of England again, although very different from before 1066, having incorporated many words of French origin (battle, beef, button, etc.). Early writers of this new English, such as Chaucer, gave it a fairly consistent spelling system, but this was soon diluted by the Chancery clerks who re-spelt words based on French orthography. English spelling consistency was dealt a further blow when William Caxton brought the printing press to London in 1476. Having lived on the Continent for the preceding 30 years, his grasp of the English spelling system had become uncertain. The Belgian assistants he brought with him to help him set up his business had an even poorer command of it. As printing developed, printers began to develop individual preferences or "house styles".〔(''Handbook of Simplified Spelling'' ). Simplified Spelling Board, 1920. p.3〕 Furthermore, typesetters were paid by the line and were fond of making words longer. However, the biggest undermining of English spelling consistency occurred between 1525, when William Tyndale first translated the New Testament, and 1539, when King Henry VIII legalized the printing of English bibles in England. The many editions of these bibles were all printed outside England by people who spoke little or no English. They often changed spellings to match their Dutch orthography. Examples include the silent ''h'' in ''ghost'' (to match Dutch ''gheest'', which later became ''geest''), ''aghast'', ''ghastly'' and ''gherkin''. The silent ''h'' in other words—such as ''ghospel'', ''ghossip'' and ''ghizzard''—was later removed.〔''Handbook of Simplified Spelling'', p.4〕 There have been two periods when spelling reform of the English language has attracted particular interest. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「English-language spelling reform」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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