Sep22 Written by:MarginPressAdmin
9/22/2009 2:18 PM
YOU SAY POTATO, I SAY POTATO
English is the new Latin. First language speakers are immediately advantaged. Everyone else needs to acquire at least a working knowledge of the language if they want to get anywhere in international commerce.
Within the realm of English speakers, writers often have to decide whether to write their works in British English (or ‘BE’- colour with the ‘u’, acclimatise with the ‘s’, etc) or North American English (or ‘NAE’ – color without the ‘u’, acclimatize with the ‘z’, etc).
Here are some guidelines:
1.It doesn’t really matter generally. Listening to some language-Nazis, you might come away thinking that the differences between BE and NAE are as pronounced as the differences between Latin and Italian. This isn’t true. Think of the last book you read. Can you remember if the writer preferred one type of English spelling over the other? Using one way of spelling won’t detract anything from the meaning you’re trying to convey and the differences are fast becoming acceptable alternatives anyway.
2.Whatever you do, be consistent. Don’t mix. It’s sloppy and creates unnecessary work for your editor.
3.Be search engine smart. If your book covers a word that has multiple spellings and the word forms part of a trademark or proper noun for instance, don’t go and change the spelling of something like ‘Technicolor’ by adding the ‘u’. Not only does it make you look like a prize tonsil, you’re probably making cross referencing on search engines and book sales sites that little bit more unlikely to do your work justice and promote sales.
4.Be sensible. Why antagonise your market unnecessarily? One of the Conservapedia.com complaints about Wikipedia is that the latter uses BE spellings. If you’re writing something to appeal to the same market who get their fix on Conservapedia, you don’t need to irritate them if they think NAE spelling is important. If you’re only publishing in England, stick to BE. If you’re publishing everywhere, check the first tip.
Have fun. At least that only has one correct spelling!
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