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How long does long s continue?

2009-09-21

PermalinkPermalink 11:09:35, by Ingrid Tieken - Boon Van Ostade Email , 61 words   English (EU)
Categories: Historical Linguistics

How long does long s continue?

I have just found a cup which was produced on the occasion of the coronation of the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina. The text, "Kronings Feest 1898", contains a long s. Are there any differences in the retention of long s in English and Dutch? Jane Austen's gravestone similarly still contains long s, which seems to me rather late, for English anyway.

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2 comments

Comment from: R. Straaijer [Member] Email
I think that these kinds of commemorative texts bring up an additional question. Does the use of long s still represent regular usage or is it an intentional stylistic anachronism, used to evoke nostalgia? This could explain the late use of long s on Austen's gravestone.
2009-09-22 @ 12:13
Comment from: Noel Osselton [Visitor]
Not only on her gravestone. Jane Austen made a sampler (1797) with a pious text. She uses long s medially in the words praise,worship, misdeeds; short s finally (kingdoms, thanks) and initially (sing). Lapidary use and needlework will have a different timescale from printers' use.
2010-03-18 @ 18:39

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