What Barb said! I'll add that the forthcoming Mark Twain Project edition of *Pudd'nhead Wilson* (April 30, 2024) contains detailed discussion of publishers' and printers' changes to Clemens's spelling. But the executive summary is: printers were generally expected to impose house style and "correct" and regularize spelling. So, even for the first printings -- and even for the books Clemens published himself (as Charles L. Webster and Co.) -- the spelling (and punctuation, and paragraphing) can't be assumed to be his. When Clemens read proofs, he aimed to undo editorial/compositorial changes. And he wrote very colorful letters to the publishers on the subject, making it very clear that he had been a professional printer himself, and he wanted the details of his inscription respected! But, with limited time and energy, he settled for what he could live with; or less. Sometimes (e.g. *Pudd'nhead* and* Following the Equator*) he didn't even get to read proof and comment on the publishers' orthography. Ben Griffin Mark Twain Project On Mon, Feb 12, 2024 at 4:02 PM Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Philip, > > You might be interested in my history of the uniform editions -- online at > > http://www.twainquotes.com/UniformEds/toc.html > > Forrest Morgan was the proofreader hired by Bliss to help put together the > later editions and there is little evidence Clemens took an active interest > in the revisions for the 1899 and later volumes. > > Barb > > On Mon, Feb 12, 2024 at 5:39 PM Philip Trauring <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > > > I’ve been comparing the spelling between the first edition (1869) of The > > Innocents Abroad, and the Author’s National Edition (which is copyright > > 1897 and 1899). > > > > I’m curious if the changes in spelling were approved by Twain, in this > > edition, or other uniform editions (which I have not yet looked at). Has > > there been anything written about the changes between editions and how > they > > came about? > > > > Here are some of the changes I’ve noticed so far: > > > > Spelling changes: > > > > amphitheatre amphitheater > > ancle ankle > > centre center > > ecstacy ecstasy > > irruption eruption > > lettred lettered > > lustre luster > > meagre meager > > ploughed plowed > > pretence pretense > > spectre specter > > sceptre scepter > > staid stayed > > theatre theater > > woollen woolen > > > > Words combined: > > > > any thing anything > > any body anybody > > any where anywhere > > every thing everything > > every body everybody > > every where everywhere > > > > While these were not combined: > > > > any one > > every one > > near by > > > > Also, pic-nic was changed to picnic, but to-day, to-morrow, and to-night > > were not changed. > > > > Looking at some of the words in Google Books Ngram Viewer shows when > > certain spellings overtook others, which is kind of neat to see visually. > > In most cases these map pretty well to what was changed. If the spelling > > didn’t switch until after 1899, it wasn’t changed in the Author’s > National > > Edition. For example, ‘everywhere' overtook 'every where’ already in the > > 1840s, and it is changed in the uniform edition. However, ‘everyone’ > didn’t > > overtake ‘every one’ until the late 1920s, so it isn’t changed in the > > uniform edition. > > > > Any other types of spelling changes I should be looking out for? > > > > Thanks. > > > > Philip > > >