[USMA:34517] Re: spelling

[Bill Potts]

Interestingly, Fowler, of "Modern English Usage" favored dropping the u from words like colour and forecast that it would happen eventually (which it still has not -- although words like odor, pallor, tremor and governor shed the u long before Fowler's time). At the time he wrote the book, the dropping of the u in American spelling was fairly recent (in historical terms). Interestingly, the u has survived in American English in the word glamour, plus a couple of others I can't remember at the moment.   Programme is interesting. It is French. Even in Britain, where it applies to a computer program, the spelling is program, not programme (except by people who are not aware of that particular rational move, made about 40 years ago and led by the British Computer Society). Here's Fowler's entry on the word: program(me). It appears from the OED quotations that -am was the regular spelling until the 19th c., & the OED's judgement is: the earlier program was retained by Scott, Carlyle, Hamilton, & others, & is preferable, as conforming to the usual English representation of Greek gramma, in anagram, cryptogram, diagram, telegram, &c. Interestingly, current British practice with respect SI units of mass is kilogram and gram. (And, of course, there are still many in Britain who insist on spelling them kilogramme and gramme.)   I agree largely with Jim Elwell's response to you, by the way.   As a footnote, I was born and educated in England. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 16:35 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:34494] Re: spelling It seems silly to me that we as Americans decide to spell metre differently from the rest of the English speaking world.  As far as I'm concerned the spelling is metre and litre, and centre, and colour, and programme &c.  I see no reason to have two different sets of spellings for English words.   Richard   In a message dated 2005-09-16 19:00:31 Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:                     2005 September 16 Spelling is the subject in 33985 and 33988.  In the USA NBS published Special Publication 330 through 1974 with the spelling metre.  In the 1977 edition the spelling is meter. 330 is the US printing of the English version of Le Systeme international d’Unites. It is my understanding that the Government Printing Office, which publishes NBS documents, asserted that it determines spelling in the documents it publishes and said the spelling is meter. As a result, Chester Page declined to be listed as editor.     Robert Bushnell PhD PE     Secretary ASTM Committee E43 on SI Practice