We did address it. And then everyone immediately changed how they pronounced every vowel.
What do you mean? The Great Vowel Shift happened well before any standardisation of spelling I’m aware of. And there’s plenty of problems beyond just the vowels.
French is probably number two on the shit list, but there’s at least a consistent pattern there.
The printing press, and more importantly the people running them, codified spelling toward the beginning of the Shift. I may have implied more intent than actually existed but spelling became a lot more standardized with the mass production of written works, particularly the bible.
What do you mean? The Great Vowel Shift happened well before any standardisation of spelling I’m aware of. And there’s plenty of problems beyond just the vowels.
French is probably number two on the shit list, but there’s at least a consistent pattern there.
The printing press, and more importantly the people running them, codified spelling toward the beginning of the Shift. I may have implied more intent than actually existed but spelling became a lot more standardized with the mass production of written works, particularly the bible.
That sounds right, although you do still see ye olde writing as late as the 1700s. It was both random and gradual.