On 29 Jan 2011 at 16:55, Mike Scott wrote:
> On 29/01/11 12:17, Zaphod Feeblejocks wrote:
> ....
> > I'm not American. If any distributor tells me I have a choice of
> > American-English or no
> > English, they are saying to me they are not interested in my business. I
> > know Canadians
> > who feel the same. When (for example), an interface tells me about
> > spreadsheet 'formulas'
> > and not 'formulae', I think the people responsible have forgotten the user.
> > Splattering
> ...
> I totally sympathise.
>
> But 'formula' is a particularly bad example, I regret. Fowler's Modern
> English Usage (at least in my 1978 edition) is clear that either plural,
> formulas or formulae, is proper usage in current 'English' English. And
> indeed (on latin plurals in general), ".... when one is really in doubt
> which to use, the English form should be given the preference" (page 325
> in that edition).
>
> I disagree - but Fowler is the authority, not me :-{
OED uses "Formulae" as plural for a mathematical formula and "Formulas" for non-
mathematical formulas (scientific formulas, etc).
It's a complex issue. I do think the American rule for plurals (put an S on
the end, forget all
this Latin nonsense) is far more consistent.
However, my issue is not really spelling - it's grammar, idioms, etc.
Sentences that the
make perfect sence to my American friends do not make sense to me and I refuse
to try to
use their way of expressing myself unless I have to - simply because I am
likely to get it
wrong. I've had too many conversations with either me or them saying, "What I
take from
that is....", and one of us having mis-understood something seemingly simple.
And that is why I dislike the trend in software to lump all derivitives of the
language spoken
in England together or to assume that people in the UK (or Canada, NZ, SA, etc)
are
wannabe Americans.
So, having had a week of translating between American and British at work, and
seeing a
download link for "OOo 3.3.0 English (UK)" lead to a 404, I was understandably
disappointed. Being told "Would American do for you instead" was annoying.
However,
apologies if I sounded off-key in earlier posts.
ZF
>
> --
> Mike Scott
> Harlow, Essex, England
>
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