Joe, sir: This is what I have been trying to explain BUT *refusal to agree* is where I had no choice! The odd problem with *my-crow-me-ter (for instrument) and my-crow-me-tre (for length measure) can be understood: my-crow-me-ter is the instrument to measure the LENGTH my-crow-me-tre! It is the WILL to change and change for change.REGARDS, Brij Bhushan Vij <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>From: "Joseph B. Reid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [USMA:21936] Metre or meter? >Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 14:14:15 -0400 > >John Kilopascal wrote in USMA 221866 > >>A metre is a unit of length. A meter is a device that is used to measure >>something. Thus, a micrometre and a micrometer are not the same thing. A >>micrometre can be calibrated to measure in micrometres. > >>I think of a litre as a unit of volume and a liter (pronounced like >>lighter) >>as a type of marking pen (Hi-liter). > >>There is a logic and sense to spelling the units with -re and the >>"devices" >>with -er. But, somehow the "educated brains" in this country missed that >>one. The only thing to do is ignore their ignorance and spell the SI >>units >>with -re and if someone asks, explain why. > >>John > > >And in USMA 21889: > >>I forgot to mention, but micrometre is pronounced differently from >>micrometer. Micrometre is pronounced something like: my-crow-me-ter, >>whereas micrometer is pronounced more like my-crom-eh-ter. the spelling >>clues you into the correct pronunciation for both litre vs. liter and >>metre >>vs. meter > >>John > > >And in in USMA 21892: > >>What about the American use of theatre, septre, centre, mitre, and other >>examples? It seems that the -re spelling is used and associated with the >>upper class and the -er spelling with the lower classes. I'll stick >>with -re. > >>John > > > > >The British edition of "SI The International System of Units" names >Chester H. Page of the National Bureau of Standards and Paul Vigoureux of >the National Physical Laboratory as editors. It uses -re. The American >edition, from the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) uses -er because >the (U.S.) Government Printing Office insisted that was the American way of >spelling. Chester H. Page demanded that his name be removed as an editor >of the brochure. > >I find it amusing that Louis Sokol, the grand old man of the US Metric >Association and of Czech background, was a strong supporter of -re. Albert >J. Mettler, the Secretary of the Canadian Metric Association and of >German-Swiss background, supported -er, and produced a survey of metric >usage that indicated that more countries, with more population, use -er >than the countries that use -re. > >-- >Joseph B. Reid >17 Glebe Road West >Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071 _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
