Brontë or Bronti? - Page 2

AlexBell · 02-05-2016, 08:00 PM

Thanks for all the information. Looking at the other side of the coin, and where this thread started: is there any information on why Charlotte chose to sign herself Brontï? It's possible, I suppose, that Harriet Martineau was mistaken when she wrote this, though she was a close friend.

BobC · 02-06-2016, 06:46 AM

I've looked at the reference provided for the Bronti spelling in the Fields, Osgood & Co edition and it doesn't say that Charlotte signed her name that way, it just refers to her as Miss Bronti (undotted i") but says her handwriting was "exceedingly small, nervous and poor, but quite legible". There are only two references in the book to Charlotte and they are both on that same page and are consistent in their presentation. No other lower case "i" present on the page is missing it's tittle.

Martineau's autobiography was edited by Maria Weston Chapman who I assume took a manuscript and transcribed it for publication, another point at which an error could creep in. However the prefatory note in the US edition does suggest that Harriet was happy with the presentation of the book so perhaps this is a red herring.

Even if we assume that the undotted i (with or without an umlout) is what Martineau wrote in her own autobiography it is not evidence of what Charlotte herself wrote.

Despite all this it seems likely that the book you are working on used some form of "i" so to revert to the original question it would seem right to follow Harry T and jelby's advice to leave it as is.

BobC

PS - just re-read post #8 where it says the reference to her signing her name thus is in Martineau's "Biographical Sketches" I also see in there that Martineau says that Brontë is an abbreviation of "Bronterre" !

AlexBell · 02-07-2016, 02:11 AM

Thanks

JSWolf · 02-07-2016, 05:55 AM

I think it's Bronto-saurus.

crich70 · 02-11-2016, 11:19 AM

I think it's not just a matter of spelling changes or wanting to step away from humble origins but the fact that language changes too. There was the great vowel shift around the time when James I had the KJV of the Bible done for example.

Pulpmeister · 10-12-2018, 01:16 AM

And the Sicilian town Bronte is pronounced pretty much as the sisters' name. Prunty is an Irish name; when I was about ten I knew a kid named Prunty.

02-06-2016, 06:46 AM	#17
BobC Guru Posts: 691 Karma: 3026110 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lancashire, U.K. Device: BeBook 1, BeBook Pure, Kobo Glo, (and HD),Energy Sistem EReader Pro +	I've looked at the reference provided for the Bronti spelling in the Fields, Osgood & Co edition and it doesn't say that Charlotte signed her name that way, it just refers to her as Miss Bronti (undotted i") but says her handwriting was "exceedingly small, nervous and poor, but quite legible". There are only two references in the book to Charlotte and they are both on that same page and are consistent in their presentation. No other lower case "i" present on the page is missing it's tittle. Martineau's autobiography was edited by Maria Weston Chapman who I assume took a manuscript and transcribed it for publication, another point at which an error could creep in. However the prefatory note in the US edition does suggest that Harriet was happy with the presentation of the book so perhaps this is a red herring. Even if we assume that the undotted i (with or without an umlout) is what Martineau wrote in her own autobiography it is not evidence of what Charlotte herself wrote. Despite all this it seems likely that the book you are working on used some form of "i" so to revert to the original question it would seem right to follow Harry T and jelby's advice to leave it as is. BobC PS - just re-read post #8 where it says the reference to her signing her name thus is in Martineau's "Biographical Sketches" I also see in there that Martineau says that Brontë is an abbreviation of "Bronterre" ! Last edited by BobC; 02-06-2016 at 07:09 AM. Reason: Added PS

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02-05-2016, 08:00 PM	#16
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks for all the information. Looking at the other side of the coin, and where this thread started: is there any information on why Charlotte chose to sign herself Brontï? It's possible, I suppose, that Harriet Martineau was mistaken when she wrote this, though she was a close friend.

02-07-2016, 02:11 AM	#18
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Thanks

02-07-2016, 05:55 AM	#19
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,513 Karma: 136565488 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I think it's Bronto-saurus.

02-11-2016, 11:19 AM	#20
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,309 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I think it's not just a matter of spelling changes or wanting to step away from humble origins but the fact that language changes too. There was the great vowel shift around the time when James I had the KJV of the Bible done for example.

10-12-2018, 01:16 AM	#21
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,630 Karma: 29138616 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	And the Sicilian town Bronte is pronounced pretty much as the sisters' name. Prunty is an Irish name; when I was about ten I knew a kid named Prunty.

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