Difference between revisions of "Shew - shewn - shewed"
From Hull AWE
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These are obsolete spellings of the verb ‘to '''show'''’, and its past tense and [[participle]]. These are normally written today as '''showed''' (past tense) and shown ([[past participle]]). I advise all current writers of formal British English to use the forms with -'''o'''-. | These are obsolete spellings of the verb ‘to '''show'''’, and its past tense and [[participle]]. These are normally written today as '''showed''' (past tense) and shown ([[past participle]]). I advise all current writers of formal British English to use the forms with -'''o'''-. | ||
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| + | Spelling was normally an -'''e'''- until the nineteenth century, and represented a [[pronunciation]] current until about then. Poetry often rhymed the forms of to sho/ew with ‘view’ and ‘true’ down to c 1700 (''OED''). The spelling is not seen nowadays, although the playwright G.B. Shaw (1856-1950) used it regularly. (I do not know how he pronounced the words.) | ||
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| + | See also [[show (verb)]]. | ||
Revision as of 17:40, 14 February 2007
These are obsolete spellings of the verb ‘to show’, and its past tense and participle. These are normally written today as showed (past tense) and shown (past participle). I advise all current writers of formal British English to use the forms with -o-.
Spelling was normally an -e- until the nineteenth century, and represented a pronunciation current until about then. Poetry often rhymed the forms of to sho/ew with ‘view’ and ‘true’ down to c 1700 (OED). The spelling is not seen nowadays, although the playwright G.B. Shaw (1856-1950) used it regularly. (I do not know how he pronounced the words.)
See also show (verb).
