Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!ihuxq!ken From: ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Spelling Reform Message-ID: <1287@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Thu, 18-Oct-84 21:18:59 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxq.1287 Posted: Thu Oct 18 21:18:59 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 21-Oct-84 13:47:19 EDT References: <179@scc.UUCP> <2696@ncsu.UUCP> <4483@fortune.UUCP>, <2701@ncsu.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 26 -- >> If English orthography is to be reformed, then the way to do it is >> through a few changes to the most problematic cases. The various >> uses of -gh is probably the single biggest offender. Other candidates >> that spring to mind are the choices between ance/ence, ant/ent, >> able/ible, and ei/ie. The newspapers have already given us employe >> and cigaret; they could give us nite, flexable, and beleve if thay >> wonted tu. >> Jon Mauney Some of these seemingly random spellings, though, are not. Many of the -ance/-ence and -ant/-ent words reflect the Latin conjugation their root verbs came from (-are/-ere). And one newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, in fact tried to give us "nite", "thru", and a few others. They stopped trying some time ago. A better answer is an educational system that stresses reading, writing, and Classical languages--not a band-aid (tm) to cover the festering sore of American illiteracy. Anyone who's had enough practice at it can spell. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 18 Oct 84 [27 Vendemiaire An CXCIII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7188 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***