The Linguistic Study of Early Modern English Speech-Related Texts

Abstract

The historical linguist has to rely on written records of a speech event for evidence regarding spoken interaction of the past. The authors consider records of trial proceedings and witness depositions, two genres that are included in A Corpus of English Dialogues 1560-1760 (currently under compilation). They present evidence both for and against the reliability of these written records as representations of past speech. The role of the scribe, as well as the printer and editor, is discussed. The authors also offer evidence to suggest that records that are contemporaneous with the speech event are preferable to later printings and editions for linguistic research. They conclude that the study of speech-related texts is of value in its own right, although these texts cannot be equated with present-day audio recordings of spoken interaction.