"i" before "e" except after "c"...

[Alex Franke]

We've talked about the English language a few times here before. I was referencing one of my favorites sites today (www.m-w.com) and saw an "Ask the Editor" video that I think is just absolutely genius.

THIS is what they should be teaching the schoolkids!

"i" before "e" except after "c" or when sounded as "ay" as in neighbor and weigh, or when it appears in comparatives and superlatives like fancier, or when the "c" sounds as "shh" as in glacier, or when the vowel sounds like "ee" as in seize, or like "eye" as in height, or it shows up in compound words like albeit, or when it shows up in "ing" inflections of verbs that end in "e", like queueing, or occasionally in technical words that have a strong etymological link to their parent languages, such as cuneiform and caffeine, and in numerous and other random exceptions, such as science, forfeit, and weird.

Transcribed from an "Ask the Editor" video of Kory Stamper, Associate Editor, http://www.merriam-webster.com

[sparkeyjames]

The only problem is getting that into them before they get a cell phone with text messaging. After that their grammar and spelling will be shot to H3ll.

[leehljp]

I posted this before - in 2003 and again around 05 or 06, I think.


The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5 year phase-in plan that would be known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, 's' will replace the soft 'c'. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard 'c' will be dropped in favor of the 'k'. This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome 'ph' will be replased with the 'f'. This will make words like 'fotograf' 20% shorter!

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expected to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkorage the removal of double leters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent 'e' in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' with 'z' and 'w' wiz 'v'.

During ze fifz year ze unesesary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou' and similar changes vud of kurs be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After ze fifz yer ve vil hav a rali sensibl ritn styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evriun vil find it ezi tu undrstand ech ozer. Zis iz kwit funy. Sonz lik wul al bi spiken German anyvay.

[Uncle Cracker]

The only problem is getting that into them before they get a cell phone with text messaging. After that their grammar and spelling will be shot to H3ll.

Not to mention their thumbs...

[cabinetman]

The only problem is getting that into them before they get a cell phone with text messaging. After that their grammar and spelling will be shot to H3ll.

I agree. Then they will only be able to communicate with each other.
.

[Uncle Cracker]

Sounds like it'd make for a good Gallagher rant...

[cabinetman]

Sounds like it'd make for a good Gallagher rant...

Or Lewis Black.
.

[crokett]

My oldest daughter is learning to read. Sometimes I feel sorry for her what with words like wait and weight, through and trough and though and bow and bough. Then of course there is guage.

[germdoc]

After ze fifz yer ve vil hav a rali sensibl ritn styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evriun vil find it ezi tu undrstand ech ozer. Zis iz kwit funy. Sonz lik wul al bi spiken German anyvay.

I think I saw this on a bathroom wall in Amsterdam, or was it Munich??

[Alex Franke]

Hank, I think that German think is the funniest thing I've read all year.

My oldest daughter is learning to read. Sometimes I feel sorry for her what with words like wait and weight, through and trough and though and bow and bough. Then of course there is guage.

...then of course there's "ghoti" for fish, and "ghoughpteighbteau", which, of course is pronounced just like potato.

[germdoc]

"Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke."

This is original from Canterbury Tales. Makes sense, huh?

[Uncle Cracker]

Jeff, I think it might be time to put a new battery in your keyboard...

[crokett]

This is original from Canterbury Tales. Makes sense, huh?

No. All I could understand was something happened in April to a young son.

[germdoc]

No. All I could understand was something happened in April to a young son.

Uh, that's the young Sun which has already run its course through the constellation Capricornus by February 15.



[wiki public domain]

Really, if you read it fast it does make sense--reminiscent of a German with a heavy accent reading the Bible, especially after a few pints of Guiness...

[Norm in Fujino]

"Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour . . .

Ah, those were the days. I read a bit of Canterbury Tales in college--also did a Shakespeare course--and loved getting into the old sprach; {shameless reminiscing ON} I did the Shakespeare course just at the same Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet was on the screen, and it was incredibly moving to an impressionable 18-year-old to experience them simultaneously. {shameless reminiscing OFF}