Latin orthography between spelling and phonology
What is it about?
From the II to the I century BC, the Latin orthography underwent a notable process of standardization. Among the many other (at least attempted) orthographic ‘reforms’ a new spelling variant for the cluster /ks/ began to emerge. The use of <XS> alongside the conventional <X> became increasingly popular in inscriptions of the time. This spelling variant has been the subject of great interest among scholars, who have delved deep into its origins. In this article, we take a closer look at the inception of <XS> and its subsequent diffusion, examining it from both a socio-cultural and a linguistic perspective. We will propose that the diffusion stemmed from both phono-graphemic and morpho-graphemic factors, as well as the ever-more strong influence of Greek's spelling system on Latin.
Why is it important?
Written languages are both linguistic entities and cultural artifacts. When studying ancient languages, we are not just looking at a static entity, but rather observing how it evolved through time in different states of balance. Understanding the processes that lead to changes in written language can help us understand the hidden forces that shape our current writing systems.