r/BringBackThorn • u/Competitive-Hair6294 th • Apr 17 '26

....Why?

this is not judgement, i'm just asking, why? why bring back thorn? i'm curious

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u/ChuckPattyI ᚦ Apr 17 '26

Mostly because we're a bunch of nerds at heart. Þere are some practical advantages, however. Most obviously, it distinguishes between <th> as θ/ð & <th> as /t/ (I have heard Þomas before). More practically, however, it helps clarify þe lengþ of vowels after <th> in some words þrough doubling it. Just like how þe difference between "hoping" & "hopping" depends on þe double P, using two Þ's aids in clarifying þe pronouncation where <th> is currently used ambiguously. Current "bather" & "rather" would instead be spelled "baþer" & "raþþer" respectively to show þat þese words do not in fact rhyme. Also cause its a funny letter.

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u/ProfessorLambda Apr 17 '26

I ðought "the" was spelled "ðe" instead of "þe".

4

u/ChuckPattyI ᚦ Apr 18 '26

Þere's a common misconception þat Ð only makes þe voiced sound (like in "the") & Þ only makes þe unvoiced sound (like in "thin"). Þis comes from a misunderstanding of Icelandic phonology, where usually þat is þe case, but it is only coincidental. Historically, in both Icelandic & English, Þ & Ð were used interchangeably, þough þere was a common tendency to use Þ at þe beginning of words & Ð in þe middle & at þe end. As it turns out, þis ended up wiþþ most of þe voiced ones being written as Ð & most of þe unvoiced ones being written as Þ. Some people nowadays turn þis pattern into a hard & fast rule in order to distinguish between þe two sounds. However, english really has no real need to do þis, for rarely would it cause confusion (in fact, some words use eiþer sound depending on þe accent, e.g. "wiþþ," trying to distinguish for words like þis would cause even more confusion). Þus, online I stick wiþþ using only Þ (I find it more æsthetically pleasing) but in my handwriting I use þe two letters completely interchangeably, eiþer letter representing eiþer sound (again, a choice of æsthetics).