Re: Perspicacia

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From: David Candy (.)
Date: 02/04/05 

Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005 18:34:30 +1100

This is a MS newsgroup. Who gives a F what webster, oxford, or Macquarrie thinks.

This is what MS says

forum

forum fo¢rem or fö¢,
noun originally a market-place, especially that in Rome where public business was transacted and justice dispensed; the courts of law as opposed to Parliament (rare); a meeting to discuss topics of public concern; a publication, regular meeting, etc serving as a medium for debate:
fo'rums or fo'ra plural.
[Latin forum, related to foras out of doors]

(c) Larousse plc. All rights reserved

MS uses The Chambers Dictionary is the product of a long line of dictionary-making. With the publication of each succeeding edition, the dictionary’s editors have kept abreast of the contemporary changes in the language and the requirements of its users. For the current edition, careful attention has been taken to ensure that the language and requirements of the 1990s are well served.

The Hertigage Illustrated Dictionary of the English Language: International Edition (Americian Hertigage Publishing Company:1975) says pretty much the same as MS. They note where usuage is not common to ALL english and americian speaking countries. They make no mention of any country specific notes. So both are correct in all countries. EG for Petrol that say Chiefly British - means gasoline (whatever that is - I suppose it must be petrol - dunno the dictionary doesn't say gasoline is petrol, it says it's GAS + OL + INE) 

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"Yabbadoo" <lsdolby@ignore.ntlwor.com> wrote in message news:BdCMd.695$RF4.624@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> Will,  do you actually HAVE a Webster's, or is your knowledge, like mine, 
> general knowledge? (I know a bit about Webster 'cos I was reading about his 
> work a while ago. I enjoy words, and tracing their origins). If so, please 
> look up "Forum" - I'd like to know HIS spelling/definition of the plural 
> (i.e whether he has both forms) - it's bugging me!
> 
> As you know I'm a Brit, but worked for US multinationals for best part of 35 
> years. It plays havoc, occasionally, with my spelling. It's only in very 
> recent times that a few US and English spellings have become acceptably 
> interchangeable in written English (but missing "u"' words are still a 
> no-no - "benefitted", in particular, springs to mind.)
> Just noticed is 03.45 - time for bed! .
> 
> Thanks, Len
> 
> "Will Denny" <willdenny@mvps.org> wrote in message 
> news:OrHRdemCFHA.3348@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> Curious - as you say.  As a norm Webster seems to have omitted a few 
>> letters along the way - including a lot of 'u's!!
>>
>> -- 
>>
>>
>> Will Denny
>> MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
>> Please reply to the News Groups
>>
>>
>> "Yabbadoo" <lsdolby@ignore.ntlwor.com> wrote in message 
>> news:b3AMd.1057$SC2.113@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...
>>> Before you leap on it, there's another typo in my post 4 Feb (thread "re 
>>> CalcPlus") - missed the "r" in "comfortable". Need to service my 
>>> keyboard, keys getting sticky, also late at night - again..
>>>
>>> Plus - you might note that, in the post I was replying to, BAR used the 
>>> word "benefited".
>>> That's the English spelling.  American spelling is "benefitted".
>>>
>>> Aren't dictionaries wonderful sources of information? (well, English 
>>> ones, anyway). Unlikely that Webster would give a non-American 
>>> alternative, given his documented/published objective in compiling it was 
>>> to "simplify" English for an exclusively American readership##. 
>>> Curiously, many of his "simplifications" removed (what he deemed to be) 
>>> superfluous letters - in "benefitted" he added one!
>>>
>>> ##( I don't possess a Webster's, this is conjecture on my part).
>>>
>>> Apols for typo. Len.
>>>
>>
>> 
> 
>

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