Why is English spelling so complicated?

We look at the history of the alphabet and some of the historical events and linguistic changes that have resulted in the complicated spelling system in English, from Viking & Norman invasions to the Great Vowel Shift and the printing press. And we weigh in on how to pronounce GIF! Here's the companion video to this one on Up and Atom's channel: https://youtu.be/_PG-jJKB_do For more detail on these topics, The History of English Podcast is great: http://historyofenglishpodcast.com/ and he has an audiobook about the history of the alphabet in particular: http://historyofenglishpodcast.com/au... Thank you to Nick Ver Voort, our newest Patreon patron! And thanks to all our Patreon supporters. Please check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheEndlessKnot Endless Knot merchandise can be found in our store: http://www.cafepress.ca/endlessknot Show notes & credits: http://www.alliterative.net/spelling Transcript: http://www.alliterative.net/spelling-... Website: http://www.allit