Re: Standardised English spelling (was Standardized English Spelling)

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:30:34 +0100, Phil C.
<philstoxicwaste@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:52:41 +0000 (UTC), Peter Goodey
<TheOtherOneWorks@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

roy.stockdill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ("Roy Stockdill") wrote in
44B1EB70.17807.183786@localhost:">news:44B1EB70.17807.183786@localhost:

Actually, we in Britain use an "s" rather than a "z" in such words as
STANDARDISED, BASTARDISED, BOWDLERISED, CATEGORISED,
etc, etc, etc.

Fowler's view is that "the primary rule is that all words of the type
authorize/authorise, civilize/civilise, legalize/legalise, where there is a
choice of ending, may be legitimately spelt with either -ize or -ise
throughout the English-speaking world (except in America, where -ize is
always used)" and adds "people are generally aware of the choice, but often
mistakenly regard the -ize ending as an Americanism".

Oxford Dictionaries also opt for -ize as standard. E.g. my COD has
"standardize" rather than "standardise".

I think all OUP publications do the same. CUP and The Times used to,
but both apostasized some years ago. I usually use them myself, as
well as the "or" rather than "our" forms, which are similarly "OED
spellings", *not* American spellings. The real difference between the
two countries is that America insists that there must be precisely one
and only one correct spelling for each word, while BrE is, as Fowler
suggests, open to the existence of variants.

The silly game of spotting and jeering at "Americanisms" has been with
us at least since Fanny Trollope, 150 years ago; those who like to
play the game usually pick on features of the language which have been
around since Billy Shakespeare was a lad.

Since British publishers took to reprinting American books by
photoreproducing the original edition (thirty or forty years ago, I
think), many people will be as familiar with American as with British
spellings - indeed, they probably have no idea which is which, nor is
there any good reason why they should have.

The obscurantists will always be with us, though. A few years ago a
newspaper campaign persuaded the exam boards to reverse a decision to
accept the internationally-defined standard spelling "sulfur" in
chemistry examinations, thereby ensuring that children were penalised
for using the form which appeared in all their textbooks. In fairness,
it should be said that the Americans are no better when it comes the
another international standard chemical name - aluminium, *not*
aluminum.

--
Don Aitken
Mail to the From: address is not read.
To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com"
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