Pedants' Paradise

[oliver sudden]

…although in Welsh ff is the only way to get an f sound, as for example in ffliwt, which is definitely my favourite word for flute in any of the not many languages with which I’m vaguely acquainted.

[LMcD]

I'm reading a large-print version of a novel, the title page of which assures me that it is 'complete and unabridged'.

[oddoneout]

I'm reading a large-print version of a novel, the title page of which assures me that it is 'complete and unabridged'.

A phrase that's been around for a very long time. I used to wonder if unabridged was used to mean "as written" ie not bowdlerised/censored, and looking it up now see now that that is listed in some references as one of the senses in which it can be used. Still seems rather unnecessary to use both words though.

[french frank]

I used to wonder if unabridged was used to mean "as written" ie not bowdlerised/censored, and looking it up now see now that that is listed in some references as one of the senses in which it can be used. Still seems rather unnecessary to use both words though

Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.

[LMcD]

Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.

On this occasion, A Bridge Too Far?

[gurnemanz]

Etymologically speaking, abridge and abbreviate have the identical Latin origin: abbreviare - to shorten.

That had not occurred to me. Checked my Chambers Etymology which points to a parallel v to g shift where Latin diluvium becomes Old French déluge.

Wiki calls these pairs doublets' which have "different phonological forms but the same etymological root". There are many examples. They mention eg overture/aperture, frail /fragile.

[french frank]

On this occasion, A Bridge Too Far?

[french frank]

Have just spent 15 minutes assembling links and videos to explain to the BBC that the police chief in the Dutch hostage story, Anne Jan Oosterheert, is a man, and not to be referred to as Ms Oosterheert or 'she'. They usually change things but they must sigh when they see another email from me

Job done. And never a word of thanks!

[smittims]

I once had to deal with a man named 'Holtom' (sic). As this is a rare surname most people called him 'Halton', especially when hearing it over the telephone. Unfortunately he showed no tolerance for this understandable error and got extremely shirty with anyone who made the mistake, reprimanding them at length.

[Padraig]

. And never a word of thanks!

Never mind, f f. We can see you've got the high ground.

[LMcD]

Possibly misleading headline on the BBC News website: 'Biden says Netanyahu making mistake as he calls for ceasefire'.

[Roger Webb]

I once had to deal with a man named 'Holtom' (sic). As this is a rare surname most people called him 'Halton', especially when hearing it over the telephone. Unfortunately he showed no tolerance for this understandable error and got extremely shirty with anyone who made the mistake, reprimanding them at length.

One of the counter staff at our local DHSS office had the moniker Mr Excrete.

[french frank]

Interesting to learn how usage overtakes one's personal experience. I read on the BBC news website: 'the city's Manhattan borough, comprised predominately of Democrats'. Misspelling! It's 'predominantly'. Yes it is, but people write 'predominately' so often that it has passed into the dictionaries of English usage. I suppose it starts as a mishearing, plus a lack of grammatical knowledge: adj + ly gives the adverb (intelligent, intelligently; predominant, predominantly), whereas predominate is a verb ...

Oh, except that an adjective predominate has existed since at least 1591, side by side with predominant (earliest example 1575). Well, all I can say is it shouldn't have existed since 1591 . OED says it comes from praedominatus ("predominated") but praedominatus isn't actually an adjective, is it? It's a participle.

What next?

[Roger Webb]

We read on CD track listings so often 'Alternate takes' or 'Alternate mix' I'm tempted to play those tracks every other time I play the disc....or is there an alternative?

[Padraig]

Interesting to learn how usage overtakes one's personal experience. I read on the BBC news website: 'the city's Manhattan borough, comprised predominately of Democrats'. Misspelling! It's 'predominantly'. Yes it is, but people write 'predominately' so often that it has passed into the dictionaries of English usage. I suppose it starts as a mishearing, plus a lack of grammatical knowledge: adj + ly gives the adverb (intelligent, intelligently; predominant, predominantly), whereas predominate is a verb ...

Oh, except that an adjective predominate has existed since at least 1591, side by side with predominant (earliest example 1575). Well, all I can say is it shouldn't have existed since 1591 . OED says it comes from praedominatus ("predominated") but praedominatus isn't actually an adjective, is it? It's a participle.

What next?

It's all about 'Free Speech', Isn't it f f? If usage is now a valid reason for change, then next step is to consolidate opening up gramar and speling to similiar acceptibility. Ness pa?