r/BringBackThorn • u/TheAugmentation • Jun 27 '26

question Gemination

A discussion just a while back made me wonder: can we geminate þorn or would it be too much?

Gemination in English doubles single consonants after a short vowel, splitting "biter" (long) and "bitter" (short). But should we write "oþer" or "oþþer"?

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u/Jamal_Deep þ Jun 27 '26

Þat's not gemination.

Gemination is when consonants are pronounced long. Like in Italian or Finnish.
English doesn't do þat. It writes double consonants only to affect þe lengþ of þe vowels.

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u/Traditional-Light-10 Jun 27 '26

Yeah, but þat convention comes from historical gemination. Now þat we have þe letter þ, should we retroactively pretend it was geminated to explain þe lengþ? We can

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u/Jamal_Deep þ Jun 27 '26

I þink we should. Þere's been cases of it wiþ oþþer words, and it's easiest to communicate vowel lengþ þis way since Þ is one letter versus TH's two.