1

I'm trying to describe evil magic and creatures to my players and to set the tone, I'm trying to use Middle and Old English words and phrases. After googling a while I couldn't find a definitive answer if Fell and Fel are both correct spellings of the same adjective?

0

1 Answer 1

2

Both are attested

Before Modern English, there were really no overarching prescriptivist entities, so the concept of "correct" spellings didn't exist. What we have are attested spellings, sometimes numbering in the hundreds for a single word.

The Middle English Dictionary is the best free resource I know of for seeing attested Middle English spellings. For fel (adjective), it shows quotes with both fel and fell spellings (and a few more like felle, double f spellings — equivalent to capital F, and even feolle).

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.