"Accouterments" Spelling Discussions

[cookie]

That spelling of accoutrements has bothered me ever since I joined the Lounge, but I held my tongue because I thought it was just one of those American things that might be correct in a few counties south of the Mason-Dixon line.

(Disclaimer: I may be overly sensitive to questionable spelling - I was one of those kids who always won the spelling bees in school.)

In the interests of intenational Lounge harmony I think the obnoxious accourterments has to go I'm afraid...

 

[Mojave Jack]

Erm,

Look chaps I'm a bit of a duffer when it comes to spelling my self but is this a transatlantic spelling of the word we English spell as accoutrements? I believe it derives from the French verb accoustrer to equip.

Sorry to be a pedant but good spelling = good form and all that

Culp

Oh, so accoutrements is a proper misspelling of the original French word, but accouterments is an improper misspelling. lol

Language is constantly evolving. If it were not, we wouldn't need a translation of The Canterbury Tales!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Ew, I hate the "accouterment" variation of the spelling. It irks me in the same way it irks me when people pronounce "bourgeois" as "booo-zhwah." The "r" is, I assure you, not silent.

 

[cookie]

Language is constantly evolving. If it were not, we wouldn't need a translation of The Canterbury Tales!

The Canterbury Tales are read in the original Middle English written by Chaucer...back to your chair and quit while you're ahead...as has been said accoutrements is a French word adopted by English....it does not need an American spelling as part of its evolution!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

The Canterbury Tales are read in the original Middle English written by Chaucer...back to your chair and quit while you're ahead...as has been said accoutrements is a French word adopted by English....it does not need an American spelling as part of its evolution!

Toe-mayto To-mah-to, po-tay-to po-tah-to......Soon we will just call the whole thing off!

Well since it already -has- an American spelling.....we should throw that away because a few of you cannot ignore it when you read the boards?

Seriously folks...if the spelling of this word is the biggest ruffle in your day.....

can I please have your lives instead of my own strife filled one?

Pretty please?

 

[Mojave Jack]

The Canterbury Tales are read in the original Middle English written by Chaucer...back to your chair and quit while you're ahead...as has been said accoutrements is a French word adopted by English....it does not need an American spelling as part of its evolution!

Are you suggesting that modern English did not evolve from Middle English? Language evolves, and spelling with it. Almost the entire English language is a process of Anglicization of foreign words. Are there any actual English words at all, that were not derived from Norman or Saxon or French or Gaelic? How do you suppose the Romans would react the English spelling of so many of their words? Lousy barbarians!

At any rate, the spelling of accouterments was amongst deliberate changes made by the Simplified Spelling Board in 1906, endorsed by Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt's strategy was, in part, to assert the American identity. Which he did very well, by the way, and not just through spelling. The rest of the world need not accept those changes -- well, except for every pilot at every airport throughout the globe -- but nonetheless that spelling is an established part of our heritage. Take it or leave it, it exists and will endure.

Of course, the Australian publication, The So-Called "American Spelling", predates the Simplified Spelling Board by 5 years, and argues that "there is no valid etymological reason for the preservation of the u in such words as honor, labor, etc." A fact apparently endorsed by the Australian Labor Party.

Mind you, I'm not suggesting that we change "right" to "rite," or "though" to "tho," but in fact, those versions and many like them are becoming more and more common due to text messaging and other abbreviated forms of communication. Like it or not, we may all be using them as a matter of convention very soon.

It's like my grandpa always said, "If you can't find more than one way to spell a word, you're not very creative."

 

[cookie]

Are you suggesting that modern English did not evolve from Middle English? Language evolves, and spelling with it. Almost the entire English language is a process of Anglicization of foreign words. Are there any actual English words at all, that were not derived from Norman or Saxon or French or Gaelic? How do you suppose the Romans would react the English spelling of so many of their words? Lousy barbarians!

At any rate, the spelling of accouterments was amongst deliberate changes made by the Simplified Spelling Board in 1906, endorsed by Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt's strategy was, in part, to assert the American identity. Which he did very well, by the way, and not just through spelling. The rest of the world need not accept those changes -- well, except for every pilot at every airport throughout the globe -- but nonetheless that spelling is an established part of our heritage. Take it or leave it, it exists and will endure.

Of course, the Australian publication, The So-Called "American Spelling", predates the Simplified Spelling Board by 5 years, and argues that "there is no valid etymological reason for the preservation of the u in such words as honor, labor, etc." A fact apparently endorsed by the Australian Labor Party.

Mind you, I'm not suggesting that we change "right" to "rite," or "though" to "tho," but in fact, those versions and many like them are becoming more and more common due to text messaging and other abbreviated forms of communication. Like it or not, we may all be using them as a matter of convention very soon.

It's like my grandpa always said, "If you can't find more than one way to spell a word, you're not very creative."

Now you being ridiculous and twisting the argument ...get away from that cocktail glass...you are waxing away like an American triumphalist...and trying to dump we poor Aussies into your little stew... away with ye!

 

[Burnsie]

Dobie Gillis agrees

Mind you, I'm not suggesting that we change "right" to "rite," or "though" to "tho," but in fact, those versions and many like them are becoming more and more common due to text messaging and other abbreviated forms of communication. Like it or not, we may all be using them as a matter of convention very soon.

For anyone nodding in agreement while reading that paragraph I highly recommend a read through the original book collection of The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis - there's a whole chapter wherein Dobie mounts a campaign against an English prof to prove that the modernized 40's English of the college set was not only accepted but acceptable through repeated common useage.
But txt msg shorthand still bugs me.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Now you being ridiculous and twisting the argument ...get away from that cocktail glass...you are waxing away like an American triumphalist...and trying to dump we poor Aussies into your little stew... away with ye!

American triumphalism?!

"Hello, Kettle? Pot here. I have something very important to tell you..."

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

Accout--re--ments

I know I'm a bit new to be pointing out a typo, but I'm anal about them!

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

Oh, I jumped the gun. Apparently 'er' works in English.

French is getting too strong a hold in my head. My apologies.

 

[Burnsie]

But it IS a spirited debate!

You weren't the first to question it:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=9016

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

Maybe we should forgo it: "General Attire and That Other Stuff You Wear With It"

 

[Josephine]

Maybe we should forgo it: "General Attire and That Other Stuff You Wear With It"

General Attire and the Frou Frou Stuff?

 

[Burnsie]

General Attire and the Frou Frou Stuff?

Those are both good suggestions - as long as there's no other spelling of "stuff"!lol

 

[Baron Kurtz]

stoff: german for substance, fabric, material etc: stuff.

bk

 

[bburtner@moran]

General Attire and Accouterments

What is the difference between accouterment and accoutrement???

 

[Miss Neecerie]

What is the difference between accouterment and accoutrement???

Where you live.



Please see the rather lengthy discussion of this issue here: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=9016&highlight=accouterment

 

[MisterCairo]

I Just Noticed...

...that this forum is called "General Attire & Accouterments" rather than "Accoutrements".

A plus tard....

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes. We've been there before.

IIRC, Webster's recognises this as a valid alternate spelling … shakeshead