Orthographic change
Changes in writing systems and spelling conventions over time. Orthographic change shows how written forms evolve.
Real World
The letter thorn (þ) was common in Old and Middle English manuscripts — its gradual replacement by 'th' shows how orthographic conventions shifted with printing technology in the 15th century.
Exam Focus
Cite a specific obsolete letter or spelling convention and connect it to a historical cause such as the printing press.
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