Ar 16:40 -0800 2000-09-03, scr�obh John Cowan:
>On Sun, 3 Sep 2000, Alistair Vining wrote:
>
>> Except that the Oxford dictionaries (and hence many UK users) have gone over
>> to -ize spellings, so you have to learn to ignore the false negatives and
>> search for the false positives...
>
>In this case it is the Americans and the Oxonians who preserve the
>traditional spelling of English words derived from Greek words in "-izein".
>The change "-ize" > "-ise" (doubtless by analogy with non-Greek words
>in "-ise" such as "advertise") is a 19th-century innovation.
Oxford notes that it is in imitation of French orthography.
It is really irritating that Oxford-orthography spell checkers are not
available from the vendors.
Michael Everson ** Everson Gunn Teoranta ** http://www.egt.ie
15 Port Chaeimhghein �ochtarach; Baile �tha Cliath 2; �ire/Ireland
Vox +353 1 478 2597 ** Fax +353 1 478 2597 ** Mob +353 86 807 9169
27 P�irc an Fh�ithlinn; Baile an Bh�thair; Co. �tha Cliath; �ire
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