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On the limits of etymology

On the limits of etymology Using the classical example of -ize versus -ise in English as a case study, this article argues that insight into etymology, contrary to an assumption implicit in some dictionaries, cannot be of much help in guiding spelling, nor can arguments concerning spelling be meaningfully substantiated on the basis of knowledge of etymology. In building this argument, I compare the original Greek senses of -ίζω -izɔ· to the usage of this suffix when borrowed into Latin, showing how Latin language users have made creative use of elements taken from Greek, integrating them into the language-specific structure of Latin. English speakers have reinterpreted and integrated the suffix -ize/-ise in language usage and structure in similar creative ways by drawing on Greek, Latin and French, meaning that a modern English verb spelled with -ize or -ise can neither be identified as ‘Greek’, ‘Latin’ or ‘French’ by the ordinary language user. Hence, a reference to a word’s origin is not a safe guideline for deciding how it should be spelled. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Acta Linguistica Hafniensia: International Taylor & Francis

On the limits of etymology

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On the limits of etymology

Abstract

Using the classical example of -ize versus -ise in English as a case study, this article argues that insight into etymology, contrary to an assumption implicit in some dictionaries, cannot be of much help in guiding spelling, nor can arguments concerning spelling be meaningfully substantiated on the basis of knowledge of etymology. In building this argument, I compare the original Greek senses of -ίζω -izɔ· to the usage of this suffix when borrowed into Latin,...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2019 The Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen
ISSN
1949-0763
eISSN
0374-0463
DOI
10.1080/03740463.2019.1625556
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Using the classical example of -ize versus -ise in English as a case study, this article argues that insight into etymology, contrary to an assumption implicit in some dictionaries, cannot be of much help in guiding spelling, nor can arguments concerning spelling be meaningfully substantiated on the basis of knowledge of etymology. In building this argument, I compare the original Greek senses of -ίζω -izɔ· to the usage of this suffix when borrowed into Latin, showing how Latin language users have made creative use of elements taken from Greek, integrating them into the language-specific structure of Latin. English speakers have reinterpreted and integrated the suffix -ize/-ise in language usage and structure in similar creative ways by drawing on Greek, Latin and French, meaning that a modern English verb spelled with -ize or -ise can neither be identified as ‘Greek’, ‘Latin’ or ‘French’ by the ordinary language user. Hence, a reference to a word’s origin is not a safe guideline for deciding how it should be spelled.

Journal

Acta Linguistica Hafniensia: International – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 2, 2019

Keywords: Etymology; spelling; loans; classical Greek; Latin

References

  • L’emprunt suffixal du latin au grec
  • Die Verba auf -issāre und -izāre
  • Noah Webster’s Influence on American Spelling
  • Un cas d’adaption phonétique: le suffixe grec –ίζω en latin
  • ‘Ise’ or ‘Ize’?
  • The Integration of the Peripheral Elements into the System of Language