They Just Never Get Anything Right! (page 2)

safe4kids

Hey,

Does this mean I now have to start referring to you UKers as "Great Brits"??? Better than Great Danes, I spose.

Dana

Englishman

OK, here is a map that shows just what makes up Great Britain:

Truth exists;only falsehood has to be invented. -Georges Braque

I have a question about stumbling. Why does it take 6 months to a year to convince someone to become a Witness, but a simple word choice distinction would "stumble" them? Do they think something like this: Oh my God, they used the wrong words, I'm outa here.

I could comment on a whole lot of stumbling issues, that just don't make sense to me, but that's enough for now.

expatbrit

And don't even get me started on word spellings in the magazines!

Ok then, since you asked, why is it that the WT go to all the trouble of translating into a bazillion different languages, but can't be bothered with the much simpler task of changing the spellings in the British / Canadian / Australian etc magazines to conform with the correctness of the spellings in those countries.

Are the brothers there not worth the effort? Bah!

Expatbrit

ozziepost

why is it that the WT go to all the trouble of translating into a bazillion different languages, but can't be bothered with the much simpler task of changing the spellings in the British / Canadian / Australian etc magazines to conform with the correctness of the spellings in those countries.

D'ya know what, expat, I'd never thought of it that way before, but, on reflection I think you have apoint.

What we've found here in Oz is that Dubs growing up as Witnesses come to believe that the American spellings are the correct spellings. Remember that in Dub households the only favoured publications and literature are WTS publications. (Row after row of brown bound volumes. Yuk!)

Cheers,
Ozzie

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

- Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress

Yadirf

expatbrit and ozziepost

How about giving some specific examples of words, and the "correct spellings" in your lands?

Daniel 11:35 ... a KEY prophecy that must be fulfilled before the "time of the end" gets underway.

expatbrit

Here's a list to be going on with. Unfortunately it doesn't format very clearly, but the original is available at: http://www.peak.org/~jeremy/dictionary/

Click on table 10: American - British spelling differences.

Looking at the spelling groupings used will give a good idea of the types of words where the spellings differ.

Expatbrit

Table 9. American and British Spelling Differences
Here is a list of about 422 American and British words that are spelt differently.

I've not included historical words. I've only included words where there are differences; I've not listed words that often confuse people. I have included some where a differing variant may exist but it seems too infrequent or disputable to note (such as advertise or advisor). And I've not included words like accessorize because although W10 lists -ise as a British variant, the COD doesn't list it.

I compiled the list from a list of over 180 words sent to me by Dan Tilque ( [email protected]), the alt.usage.english FAQ, and many other various sources.

I (mostly) used two dictionaries, COD & W10, to cross check the words: The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 8th Ed. 1990 (190,000 definitions) for the British side, and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1993 for the American side, chosen as the best to reflect contemporary usage of generally used words.

I had previously used (WII) Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary, 1988 (200,000 definitions) for the American side, but revamped the list using W10.

Ideally, there would simply be a unique spelling for each side, but often they both figure to some extent on both sides. The dictionaries list variants in a variety of ways: word1, or word2; word1, var. word2, word1, or word2, word1, also word2; and sometimes word2, however it is designated, is parenthesised.

I have inferred from the dictionaries the following three levels of variants, and indicate them as follows:

word1 or word2 completely synonymous, equal variants
word1, word2 word1 is the more common or usual variant
word1 (word2) word2 is a much less frequent variant than word1

The dictionaries tend to agree generally but sometimes differ in the details. For instance, both COD and WII say spelled or spelt (W10 says spelt is chiefly British). Whereas, COD says oenolgy, indicating enology is the American, but WII say it's oenology, and that enology is a variant. W10 says enology, and that oenolgy is a variant.

Many spelling differences are the result of simplifying obsolete spellings that in many cases are vestiges of other languages, such as French, Latin or Greek.

This list is no way complete, especially since I've excluded various kinds of words, as mentioned above. American much more rapidly drops hyphens and spaces in compound words (lemongrass), and in such words the variations between American and British are innumerable.

A special note about ize/ise spellings.
When I look at UK literature (personal letters, magazines, postings, books, etc.) I find in actuality the -ise form is used.
COD generally lists the -ize form as the regular spelling, with -ise form as the variant. The reason is that the -ize form in the UK is not only accepted but, seemingly in the case of COD, the recommended form.

Since the -ise form is the one used by the natives, I presume that the -ise form is the actually accepted and current spelling in the UK, whereas the -ize word is an acceptable but less often used variant.

Feedback: Please send any additions. Also any ideas for better categorising any word (for instance, where should omelette and glamour go?) or group. Furthermore, if you feel strongly that a variant is more (or less) frequent than indicated, holler (regional differences notwithstanding).

I have catagorised the words into over thirty groups. The groups are: 1-4: Greek (classic) spellings simplified 1. -e-/-oe-
2. -e-/-ae- 3. -r-/-rh-
4. silent -ph-
5: Latin spellings simplified 5. -f-/-ph-
6-9: Old/Middle English simplified 6. -ed/-t
7. -f-/-gh- 8. -i-/-y-
9. /-st
10-20: French spellings simplified (See interesting article on metre by Bob Bemer.) 10. -er/-re
11. -or/-our
12. -o-/-ou-
13. -m/-mme 14. -ck/-que
15. -og/-ogue
16. -ction/-xion
17. -ize/-ise 18. -yze/-yse
19. -a-/-au-
20. -se/-ce
21-30: Pronunciation simplifications 21. -er/-or
22. -e/-ee
23. -g-/-gg-
24. -ll-/-l- 25. -l-/-ll-
26. -p-/-pp-
27. -s-/-ss-
28. -t-/-tt- 29. -dg-/-dge-
(& -g-/-ge-)
30. in-/en-
31-33: hyphenation, spaces, diacritics, punctuation 31. hyphenation and spaces 32. diacritics 33. punctuation
34: Different spellings and other miscellaneous 34. other

The words are arranged alphabetically by the left hand column (American) within each group.

(1-4) Greek (classic) spellings simplified American British
1. -e-/-oe-

amoeba, ameba amoeba
diarrhea diarrhoea
edema oedema
enology, oenology oenology
esophagus (oesophagus) oesophagus
estrogen (oestrogen) oestrogen
estrus (oestrus) oestrus
fetal (foetal) foetal
fetid, foetid fetid, foetid
fetor, foetor fetor
fetus (foetus) foetus
gonorrhea gonorrhoea
homeopath homoeopath
homeostasis homoeostasis
maneuver manoeuvre
menorrhea menorrhoea
penology penology (poenology?)
American British
2. -e-/-ae-

aeon, eon aeon, eon
aesthete, esthete aesthete
aesthetic, esthetic aesthetic
anemia anaemia
anemic anaemic
anesthetic, -thesia, -thetist anaesthetic, -thesia, -thetist
archaeology, archeology archaeology
cesarean (caesarean) cesarian (caesarian) caesarean, caesarian
cesium caesium
diaeresis, dieresis diaeresis
encyclopedia, encyclopaedia encyclopedia, encyclopaedia
ether ether (aether)
fecal (faecal) faecal
feces (faeces) faeces
gynecology gynaecology
hemoglobin haemoglobin
hemophilia haemophilia
hemorrhage haemorrhage
hemorrhoid haemorrhoid
leukemia leukaemia
medieval, mediaeval medieval, mediaeval
orthopedics, orthopaedics orthopaedics
paean (pean) paean
paleobotany palaeobotany
Paleocene Palaeocene
paleoclimatology palaeoclimatology
paleogeography palaeogeography
paleography palaeography
paleolithic palaeolithic
paleomagnetism palaeomagnetism
paleontology palaeontology
Paleozoic Palaeozoic
pedagogy paedagogy
pederast pederast, paederast
pediatrician paediatrician
pediatric paediatric
pediatrics paediatrics
pedophile paedophile
pedophilia paedophilia
primeval primeval (primaeval)
syneresis, synaeresis synaeresis
synesthesia, synaesthesia synaesthesia
American British
3. -r-/-rh-

eurythmy, eurhythmy eurhythmy
American British
4. silent -ph-

apothegm apophthegm

(5) Latin spellings simplified American British
5. -f-/-ph-

bisulfate bisulphate
disulfide disulphide
sulfate sulphate
sulfide sulphide
sulfur, sulphur sulphur
trisulfate trisulphate

(6-9) Old/Middle English simplified American British
6. -ed/-t

burned, burnt burnt, burned
dreamed, dreamt dreamt, dreamed
knelt, kneeled knelt (kneeled)
leaned leaned, leant
leaped, leapt leaped, leapt
learned learned, learnt
smelled, smelt smelt, smelled
spelled spelt, spelled
spilled, spilt spilt, spilled
spoiled, spoilt spoilt, spoiled
American British
7. -f-/-gh- and -ow/-ough

draft, -fty draught, -ghty (only air current, drawing of liquid)
draftsman draughtsman, draftsman (one who makes drawings)
plow (plough), -man, -share plough, -man, -share
snowplow snowplough
American British
8. -i-/-y-

gypsy, gipsy gypsy, gipsy
jibe (gybe) gybe (nautical)
siphon, syphon siphon (syphon)
tire tyre (on vehicles only)
tyke, tike tyke (tike)
tyro tiro (tyro)
American British
9 /-st

amid, amidst amid, amidst
among, amongst among, amongst
while while, whilst

(10-20) French spellings simplified American British
10. -er/-re

accoutre, accouter accoutre
accouterment, accoutrement accoutrement
amphitheater amphitheatre
caliber, calibre calibre
center centre
centerboard centreboard
centerfold centrefold
centering centring, centreing
fiber, fibre fibre
fiberboard, fibreboard fibreboard
fiberglass, fibreglass fibreglass
goiter goitre
liter (litre) litre
louver, louvre louvre, louver
luster, lustre lustre (brilliance)
maneuver manoeuvre
meager, meagre meagre
meter metre (unit of measurement)
miter, mitre mitre
niter nitre
ocher, ochre ochre
philter, philtre philtre
reconnoiter, reconnoitre reconnoitre
saber, sabre sabre
saltpeter saltpetre
scepter sceptre
sepulchre, sepulcher sepulchre
somber, sombre sombre
specter, spectre spectre
theater, theatre theatre
titer, titre titre
American British
11. -or/-our

arbor arbour
ardor ardour
armor armour
armorer armourer
armory armoury
behavior behaviour
behavioral behavioural
candor candour
clamor clamour
clangor clangour
color colour (and all derivative words)
demeanor demeanour
dolor dolour (literary)
enamor enamour
endeavor endeavour
favor favour
favorite favourite
favoritism favouritism
fervor fervour
flavor flavour
glamor, glamour glamour
harbor harbour
honor honour
humor humour
labor labour
misdemeanor misdemeanour
neighbor neighbour
neighborhood neighbourhood
neighborly neighbourly
odor odour
parlor parlour
pavior, paviour pavior or paviour
rancor rancour
rigor rigour
rumor rumour
savior, saviour saviour
savor, savour savour
savory, savoury savoury
splendor splendour
succor succour
tumor tumour
valor valour
vapor vapour
vigor vigour
American British
12. -o-/-ou-

bolt bolt (boult) (metal pin)
citrus citrous (adj)
font fount, font
mold, mould mould (rot)
molding, moulding moulding (ornamental wood or stone)
molt (moult) moult
smolder, smoulder smoulder
American British
13. -m/-mme

gram gram (gramme)
kilogram kilogram (kilogramme)
program, programme programme (verb)
program programme (noun)
program program (programme) (computer)
programmed, programed programmed
programmer, programer programmer
programming, programing programming
American British
14. -ck/-que

check cheque (banking only)
checker chequer, checker (pattern)
American British
15. -og/-ogue & -ege/-egue

analogue or analog analogue
catalog, catalogue catalogue
dialogue, dialog dialogue
epilogue, epilog epilogue
homologue, homolog homologue
monologue, monolog monologue
pedagogue, pedagog pedagogue
prologue, prolog prologue
renege renege (renegue)
synagogue, synagog synagogue
travelogue, travelog travelogue
American British
16. -ction/-xion

connection connection, connexion
deflection deflection, deflexion
flexion (flection) flexion
genuflection genuflection, genuflexion
inflection inflection, inflexion
reflection reflection, reflexion
retroflection retroflexion
American British
17. -ize/-ise

advertise (-ize listed as Brit. var. in W10) advertise
aggrandize aggrandize, aggrandise
Americanize Americanise, Americanize
apologize apologise, apologize
apprise apprise (to inform)
apprize apprize (archaic) (appraise, esteem)
burglarize burglarise, burglarize
capitalize capitalise, capitalize
categorize categorize, categorise
characterize characterise, characterize
colonize colonize, colonise
criticize criticize, criticise
dramatize dramatise, dramatize
empathize (-ise listed as Brit. var. in W10) empathize
emphasize emphasize, emphasise
equalize equalise, equalize
extemporize extemporize, extemporise
finalize finalize, finalise
glamorize, glamourize glamorise, glamorize, glamourise, glamourize
liberalize liberalize, liberalise
merchandise, merchandize merchandise
mobilize mobilise, mobilize
motorize motorise, motorize
naturalize naturalise, naturalize
normalize normalize, normalise
organize organise organize
parameterize or parametrize parametrize, parametrise
parenthesize parenthesize, parenthesise
pasteurized pasteurised, pasteurized
popularize popularise, popularize
realize realise, realize
recognize recognise, recognize
romanize romanise, romanize
satirize satirise, satirize
stabilize stabilize, stabilise
standardize standardise standardize
surprise, surprize surprise
symbolize symbolise, symbolize
tantalize tantalize, tantalise
vaporize vaporise, vaporize (yep! not vapourise)
American British
18. -yze/-yse

analyze analyse
catalyze catalyse
dialyze dialyse
paralyze paralyse
American British
19. -a-/-au-

balk baulk (balk)
cauldron (caldron) cauldron (caldron)
calk (caulk) (metal shoe grip)
caulk (calk) caulk (goop to stop up boat leaks)
gauge (gage) gauge
American British
20. -se/-ce

defense defence
license, licence license (verb)
license, licence licence (noun)
offense, offence offence
practice, practise practise, practice (noun)
practice, practise practise (verb)
pretense, pretence pretence
vise vice (tool for holding work)

(21-30) Pronunciation simplifications American British
21. -er/-or

adapter, adaptor adaptor, adapter
adviser, advisor adviser (advisor disputed)
propeller, propellor propeller
22. -e/-ee

employee, employe employee
American British
23. -g-/-gg-

fagot, faggot faggot (bundle of sticks)
fagoting, faggoting faggoting (embroidery)
wagon wagon, waggon
American British
24. -ll-/-l-

appall, appal appal
distill, distil distil
enroll, enrol enrol
enrollment enrolment
enthrall, enthral enthral
fulfill, fulfil fulfil
fulfillment fulfilment
install, instal install, instal
installment, instalment instalment
instill, instil instil
skillful skilful
thralldom or thraldom thraldom (thralldom)
willful, wilful wilful
American British
25. -l-/-ll-

barreled, -ling, barelled, -lling barelled, -lling
calisthenics callisthenics (calisthenics)
caliper calliper
canceled, -ling or cancelled -lling cancelled, -lling
chili, chile, chilli chilli, chili
councillor or councilor councillor
counseled, -ling, counselled, -lling counselled, -lling
counselor, counsellor counsellor
deviled, -ling, devilled, -lling devilled, -lling
disheveled, -ling or dishevelled, -lling dishevelled, -lling
equaled, -ling, equalled, -lling equalled, -lling
fueled, -ling, fuelled, -lling fuelled, -lling
groveled, -ling, -ler, grovelled, -lling, -ller grovelled, -lling, -ller
hosteler or hosteller hosteller
hosteled, -ling or hostelled, -lling hostelled, -lling
jeweler, jeweller jeweller
jewelry jewellery (jewelry) (note -el-, -elle-)
leveled, -ling, levelled, -lling levelled, -lling
leveler, leveller leveller
libeled, -ling, libelled, -lling libelled, -lling
libelous, libellous libellous
marvelous or marvellous marvellous
marveled, -ling or marvelled, -lling marvelled, -lling
metaled, -ling, metalled, -lling metalled, -lling
modeled, -ling or modelled -lling modelled, -lling
modeler modeller
paneled, -ling or panelled, -lling panelled, -lling
panelist panellist
pupilage or pupillage pupillage (pupilage)
quarreled, -ling, quarrelled, -lling quarrelled, -lling
quarreler, quarreller quarreller
reveled, -ling, revelled, -lling revelled, -lling
scalawag (scallywag) scallywag (scalawag)
traveled, -ling, travelled, -lling travelled, -lling
traveler, traveller traveller
troweled, -ling, trowelled, -lling trowelled, -lling
woolen or woollen woollen
woolly, wooly woolly (adj)
woolly, woolie, wooly (pl. -llies, -lies) woolly (pl. -llies) (noun)
American British
26. -p-/-pp-

kidnapped, kidnaped kidnapped
kidnapper, -pping, kidnaper, -ping kidnapper, -pping
worshiped, -ping, worshipped, -pping worshipped, -pping
worshiper, worshipper worshipper
American British
27. -s-/-ss-

biased, -sing, biassed, -ssing biased, -sing, biassed, -ssing
buses, busses buses (omnibus)
buses, busses buses, busses (computer)
focused, -sing, focussed, -ssing focused, -sing or focussed, -ssing
American British
28. -t-/-tt-

carburetor carburettor
cigarette, cigaret cigarette
clarinetist, clarinettist clarinettist
garrote, -ted, -ting or garotte, -tted, -tting garrotte (garotte)
net net (nett) (or money, result, etc)
omelette, omelet omelette, omelet
sulfureted sulphuretted
American British
29. -dg-/-dge- (& -g-/-ge-)

abridgment, abridgement abridgement (abridgment)
acknowledgment, acknowledgement acknowledgement (acknowledgment)
aging, ageing ageing, aging
fledgling fledgling, fledgeling
judgment, judgement judgement (judgment)
misjudgment misjudgement (misjudgment)
American British
30 in-/en-

encase, incase encase (incase)
enclose, inclose enclose (inclose)
endorse, indorse endorse (indorse)
ensure, insure ensure (make sure)
inquire, enquire enquire, inquire
inquiry, enquiry enquiry, inquiry
inure, enure inure, enure

(31-33) hyphenation, spaces, diacritics, punctuation American British
31. hyphenation and spaces

antiaircraft anti-aircraft
ashtray ash-tray, ashtray
bookkeeper book-keeper
cooperate cooperate, co-operate
daydream day-dream
drypoint dry-point
E-mail email, e-mail
flower girl flower-girl
flower pot flower-pot
lemongrass lemon grass
neoclassical neo-classical
note paper note-paper
preignition pre-ignition
pseudointellectual pseudo-intellectual
pseudoscience pseudo-science
ultrahigh ultra-high
ultramodern ultra-modern
American British
32. diacritics

café, cafe café, cafe
elite élite
entree, entrée entrée
fete, fête fête
matinee, matinée matinée
naive, naïve naïve, naive
role (rôle) role, rôle
American British
33. punctuation

B.S. B.Sc.
Jr Jnr. or Jr.
M.S. M.Sc.
Sr Snr. or Sr.

(34) Different spellings and other miscellaneous American British
34. other

adze, adz adze
airplane aeroplane
aluminum aluminium
artifact artefact, artifact
ass (arse) arse
ax, axe axe
bail out bale out, bail out
baloney (boloney) boloney, baloney
battle-ax battleaxe
behoove behove
boric (boracic) boracic, boric
cantaloupe, cantaloup cantaloup (cantaloupe)
carcass carcass, carcase
chamomile (camomile) camomile, chamomile
clerestory, clearstory clerestory
cozy, cosy cosy
crayfish, crawfish crayfish (crawfish)
curb kerb (edging of road only)
czar, tsar, tzar tsar, czar
dependent, dependant dependant (noun)
disc, disk disc (phono record, CD, CD-ROM, disc harrow)
disk, disc disk (computing)
disk disc (other meanings)
dissension, dissention dissension
doodad doodah
doughnut, donut doughnut
flaky (flakey) flaky
flotation (floatation) flotation, floatation
furor furore
gray, grey grey
jail jail, gaol
jailbird jailbird, gaolbird
jailbreak jailbreak, gaolbreak
jailer jailer, gaoler
karat (carat) carat (gold)
ketchup, catsup (catchup) ketchup (catchup)
kumquat kumquat (cumquat)
largesse or largess largesse (largess)
lens, lense lens
licorice liquorice (licorice)
mollusk or mollusc mollusc
mustache, moustache moustache
naught, nought nought (digit 0)
night, nite night
nursling nursling, nurseling
pajamas pyjamas
peddler, pedlar pedlar
persnickety (pernickety) pernickety
pickaninny, picaninny piccaninny
polyethylene polythene, polyethylene, polyethene
premise, premiss premise, premiss
propellant, propellent propellant (n)
propellant, propellent propellent (adj)
reverie, revery reverie
Romanian, Rumanian, Roumanian Romanian, Rumanian
Romansh, Romansch Romansh, Rumansh
ruble, rouble rouble, ruble
sanatorium, sanitarium or sanitorium sanatorium
scion (cion) scion
sissy sissy (cissy)
skeptic, -al, -ism, sceptic, -al, -ism sceptic, -al, -ism
specialty speciality
story, storey storey (story) (floor of buildings only)
swab (archaic: swob) swab, swob
swap swap, swop
though, tho though, tho'
through, thru through
tidbit, titbit titbit
today (to-day) today
tonight, tonite tonight
vial, phial phial, vial
whiskey, whisky whisky (generic name)
whiskey whiskey (Irish & American kinds)
whiskeys, whiskies whiskeys, whiskies
whisky whisky (Scottish kinds)

Yadirf

expatbrit

Thanks for fulfilling my request. Very interesting!

Why is it that the WT go to all the trouble of translating into a bazillion different languages, but can't be bothered with the much simpler task of changing the spellings in the British / Canadian / Australian etc magazines to conform with the correctness of the spellings in those countries.

But even so the English language -- the language that YOU do in fact speak -- was THE language used in the literature you received as published by the WTBTS. There are indeed a tremendous number of languages & dialects. Perhaps the day will come yet when the WTS -- a progressive organization -- perfects matters so as to conform more closely with each countries exact spellings of words.

Yadirf

whiskey, whisky

I can't stand the taste of it no matter which way you spell it!

ozziepost

But even so the English language -- the language that YOU do in fact speak -- was THE language used in the literature you received as published by the WTBTS. There are indeed a tremendous number of languages & dialects. Perhaps the day will come yet when the WTS -- a progressive organization -- perfects matters so as to conform more closely with each countries exact spellings of words.

Friday, old son, you must see that what you wrote is a load of cobblers!

Without going into the way the Brooklyn boys speak the English language, I thought the point that was being made was not language but spelling. The USA spells the English language differently to the British where the home of the English language is. It doesn't need proving...unless you're visiting from Mars!

Cheers,
Ozzie

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

- Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress

They Just Never Get Anything Right!

safe4kids

Englishman

larc

expatbrit

ozziepost

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

Yadirf

expatbrit

Yadirf

Yadirf

ozziepost

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

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