I know our American cousins pronounce it ......... - Page 3

Argus · 03-29-2002, 04:25 AM

As an American surrounded by expats from England and Australia (and from practically everywhere else), believe it or not but I've had this argument before...here was the researched answer from the International Aluminum Institute:

"In 1808 Sir Humphrey Davy proposed the name ALUMIUM for the metal. This rather unwieldy name was soon replaced by ALUMINUM and later the word ALUMINIUM was adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists in order to conform with the "ium" ending of most elements. By the mid-1800s both spellings were in use, indeed Charles Dickens commented at the time that he felt both names were too difficult for the masses to pronounce!

The patents of both Hall and Héroult refer to ALUMINIUM and the company Hall helped set up was originally called the Pittsburgh ALUMINIUM Company. It was shortly renamed the Pittsburgh Reduction Company and in the USA the metal gradually began to be known only as ALUMINUM (in 1907 Hall's company finally became the ALUMINUM Company of America). In 1925 the American Chemical Society decided to use the name ALUMINUM in their official publications. Most of the world have kept the I in ALUMINIUM but it is interesting to note that the name for the metal's oxide, ALUMINA has been universally accepted over its more convoluted alternatives, ALUMINE and ALUMINIA.

Both ALUMINIUM and ALUMINUM have an equal claim to etymological and historical justification, and it seems that the difference in both pronunciation and spelling is likely to stay with us for the foreseeable future!"

So there you go...don't get me started on whiskey vs. whisky...

At least we all spell beer the same way... [img]smile.gif[/img]

John D Harris · 03-29-2002, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LennonCook:

[/qb]

There are some americans with spelling ability ?? Its a MIRACLE !! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [/QB][/QUOTE]
Well I wouldn't go that far LennonCook, I know how thay are to be spelled, if they get spelled that way by me ... well that's a different story

Fast Hands · 03-29-2002, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Downunda:
The american pronunciation that makes me laugh most is VE-HIC-ILL [img]smile.gif[/img] - not like us that pronounce it VEREKILL, I dunno, your way is probably right but it still sounds funny to me

I guess I'm confused. There is no R in vehicle...

Donut · 03-30-2002, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fast Hands:

quote:
Originally posted by Downunda:
The american pronunciation that makes me laugh most is VE-HIC-ILL [img]smile.gif[/img] - not like us that pronounce it VEREKILL, I dunno, your way is probably right but it still sounds funny to me

I guess I'm confused. There is no R in vehicle... [/QUOTE]My problem is that there is no F in alcohol [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cloudbringer · 04-27-2002, 10:11 PM

Hehe..thought this was timely after all the aluminum foil hat discussions in SomeGuy's thread.

Alexander · 04-27-2002, 10:15 PM

We wouldn't be having this discussion if not for one man who decided that in order to completely break away from England, we needed some changes in spelling.

Connecticut's own Noah Webster.

Sir Mandorallen · 04-27-2002, 10:28 PM

How abot... armor and armour?? I have seen them speld both ways in America, and lots of other plases 2... as for the alumi*** thing.... I am with..... THE ALUMINUM PEOPLE!!!!!!! Ha ha!
Evin if i cant spel, who kares?

Ha ha! On a thread about Americans not bieng able to spel I defend the USA and spel write!! HA! IN YOUR FASE!!! Wait.....

LennonCook · 04-27-2002, 10:41 PM

I was in a chat the other day, arguing about spelling. The other bloke (not guy - thats American [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) said that the Americans had changed it so it made more sense.
Ok, that makes sense for things like axe/ax, aluminium/aluminum, colour/color, and all those. But 2 things come to mind-
1) Vice/Vise. In american, the first is a bad habit, the second a clamping device. For the rest of the english speaking world, theyre both vice. How does changing the c make more sense ??

and 2) How do you guys spell "onomatopoeia" ??

khazadman · 04-28-2002, 12:32 AM

i might get in trouble here but the real reason we change so many spellings(dropping letters)is just due to the fact that we americans are a very impatient people."whats this letter for?it's not needed so let's just get rid of it."
well lennon,believe it or not,we spell onomatopoeia the same way.hiss,hiss,buzz,buzz.

caleb · 04-28-2002, 01:45 AM

Vice/Vise makes sense because they have two/to/too

different meanings. I thought I set you straight on messenger last week [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Yankees.....trying to be more efficient and less like shakespear.

[ 04-28-2002, 01:46 AM: Message edited by: caleb ]

04-27-2002, 10:11 PM	#25
Cloudbringer Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Upstate NY USA Posts: 19,737	Hehe..thought this was timely after all the aluminum foil hat discussions in SomeGuy's thread. __________________ "Don't take life for granted." Animal (may he rest in peace)

04-27-2002, 10:15 PM	#26
Alexander Drow Warrior Join Date: April 16, 2002 Location: Connecticut Age: 40 Posts: 259	We wouldn't be having this discussion if not for one man who decided that in order to completely break away from England, we needed some changes in spelling. Connecticut's own Noah Webster. __________________ Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.<br /><br />-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

04-27-2002, 10:28 PM	#27
Sir Mandorallen Baaz Draconian Join Date: November 7, 2001 Location: Fal Dara of Shienar Age: 36 Posts: 790	How abot... armor and armour?? I have seen them speld both ways in America, and lots of other plases 2... as for the alumi*** thing.... I am with..... THE ALUMINUM PEOPLE!!!!!!! Ha ha! Evin if i cant spel, who kares? Ha ha! On a thread about Americans not bieng able to spel I defend the USA and spel write!! HA! IN YOUR FASE!!! Wait..... __________________ <br /><br />\"Sa souvraya niende misain ye\"<br />~I am lost in my own mind~<br /><br />\"Paradise on my right, Hell on my left, and the Angel of Death behind.\"<br />~The Sirat: O.C. Bible~

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03-29-2002, 04:25 AM	#21
Argus The Magister Join Date: June 7, 2001 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 111	As an American surrounded by expats from England and Australia (and from practically everywhere else), believe it or not but I've had this argument before...here was the researched answer from the International Aluminum Institute: "In 1808 Sir Humphrey Davy proposed the name ALUMIUM for the metal. This rather unwieldy name was soon replaced by ALUMINUM and later the word ALUMINIUM was adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists in order to conform with the "ium" ending of most elements. By the mid-1800s both spellings were in use, indeed Charles Dickens commented at the time that he felt both names were too difficult for the masses to pronounce! The patents of both Hall and Héroult refer to ALUMINIUM and the company Hall helped set up was originally called the Pittsburgh ALUMINIUM Company. It was shortly renamed the Pittsburgh Reduction Company and in the USA the metal gradually began to be known only as ALUMINUM (in 1907 Hall's company finally became the ALUMINUM Company of America). In 1925 the American Chemical Society decided to use the name ALUMINUM in their official publications. Most of the world have kept the I in ALUMINIUM but it is interesting to note that the name for the metal's oxide, ALUMINA has been universally accepted over its more convoluted alternatives, ALUMINE and ALUMINIA. Both ALUMINIUM and ALUMINUM have an equal claim to etymological and historical justification, and it seems that the difference in both pronunciation and spelling is likely to stay with us for the foreseeable future!" So there you go...don't get me started on whiskey vs. whisky... At least we all spell beer the same way... [img]smile.gif[/img]

04-27-2002, 10:41 PM	#28
LennonCook Jack Burton Join Date: November 10, 2001 Location: Bathurst & Orange, in constant flux Age: 37 Posts: 5,452	I was in a chat the other day, arguing about spelling. The other bloke (not guy - thats American [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) said that the Americans had changed it so it made more sense. Ok, that makes sense for things like axe/ax, aluminium/aluminum, colour/color, and all those. But 2 things come to mind- 1) Vice/Vise. In american, the first is a bad habit, the second a clamping device. For the rest of the english speaking world, theyre both vice. How does changing the c make more sense ?? and 2) How do you guys spell "onomatopoeia" ??

04-28-2002, 12:32 AM	#29
khazadman User suspended until [Feb13] Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: the south side of ol virginny Age: 62 Posts: 1,172	i might get in trouble here but the real reason we change so many spellings(dropping letters)is just due to the fact that we americans are a very impatient people."whats this letter for?it's not needed so let's just get rid of it." well lennon,believe it or not,we spell onomatopoeia the same way.hiss,hiss,buzz,buzz.

04-28-2002, 01:45 AM	#30
caleb Horus - Egyptian Sky God Join Date: April 10, 2001 Location: Tacoma, WA, U.S.A. Age: 39 Posts: 2,615	Vice/Vise makes sense because they have two/to/too different meanings. I thought I set you straight on messenger last week [img]tongue.gif[/img] Yankees.....trying to be more efficient and less like shakespear. [ 04-28-2002, 01:46 AM: Message edited by: caleb ]

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