Welcome to the History of English Podcast, a podcast about the history of the English

language.

This is Episode 158, Planting Seeds.

In this episode, we're going to continue our look at developments outside of England

during the early reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

This time, we'll look at several early efforts to plant English settlements in Ireland.

We'll also look at some early English encounters with the New World, which set the stage

for our more widespread English settlement there.

So in that regard, these developments planted the seeds for a period of English colonialism

that was soon to come, and for the spread of the English language that went with it.

This period also coincided with the first detailed writings about English spelling, and

the need to reform the spelling system to make it more logical and consistent.

And interestingly, one of those early spelling reformers was also an advocate for English

settlements in Ireland.

So this time, we'll look at the odd connection between spelling reform and colonialism in

Elizabethan England.

And before we begin, let me remind you that the website for the podcast is HistoryofEnglishPodcast.com.

And you can sign up to support the podcast and get bonus episodes at patreon.com slash

HistoryofEnglish.

Now last time, we looked at events in the south and north of England, in the Netherlands

and in Scotland.

This time, we're going to turn our attention to the west, to Ireland and the New World.

...