Chapter+6+Spelling+etc

Chapter 6: Spelling and Unique Treatment of Words
6.1 The Chicago Manual of Style 6.2 Converting Capital Letters, Abbreviations and Numerals Used as Nouns into Plurals 6.3 Hyphenating Initials 6.4 Capitalizing Professional Titles 6.5 Capitalizing Regional Terms 6.6 Spelling and Writing International English 6.6.1 American Versus British/Commonwealth Spelling 6.6.2 Lingua Franca 6.6.3 Dialect 6.6.4 Grammar 6.6.5 Tautonymy and Heteronymy 6.6.6 American/British Pairs of Words 6.6.7 Localization 6.7 Retaining Original Spelling in Quotations
 * Table of Contents**

INTRODUCTION This chapter will illustrate why //The Chicago Manual of Style// is a comprehensive tool for researching the complex topic of Spelling and Unique Treatment of Words. Some examples will be given of spelling, capitalization, and hyphenation issues posted by students during the course of their work in the PTC 624 seminar.

 =6.1 The Chicago Manual of Style=

Chicago recommends using //Webster’s Third New International Dictionary//and its chief abridgment, //Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary//. The Manual also recommends that, if more than one spelling or form of plural is given, writers should opt for the first form listed for consistency. “If, the Collegiate disagrees with the Third International, the Collegiate should be followed, since it represents the latest lexical research” (Chicago 7.1).

Chicago also recommends that the writer should first consult a dictionary to determine if compound terms should be hyphenated, spelled as out as multiple words, or closed up into single words (7.90). The Manual notes, though, that “writers and editors are bound to make their own exceptions according to context or personal taste” (7.90).

Sections 7.82–7.90 of Chicago offers an extensive treatment of issues such as spelling, foreign words, compound terms, and hyphenation. Section 7.90, “Hyphenation Guide for Compounds, Combining Forms and Prefixes” is a quick, clear, and useful reference tool.

 =6.2 Converting Capital Letters, Abbreviations, and Numerals Used as Nouns Into Plurals=

“Capital letters used as words, abbreviations that contain no interior periods, and numerals used as nouns form the plural by adding the letter ‘s’” (Chicago 7.15). Back to Top
 * **Before Editing** || **After Editing** ||
 * The most common misconception is that editors are merely proofreaders, there to ensure that all the i's are dotted, t's are crossed, and commas in the correct place (Emila Serna). || The most common misconception is that editors are merely proofreaders, there to ensure that all the Is are dotted, Ts are crossed, and commas in the correct place (Emily Serna). ||
 * We lived in New York during the 1980’s. || We lived in New York during the 1980s. ||
 * Please include the URL’s in your citations. || Please include the URLs in your citations ||

 =6.3 Hyphenating Initials=

“Initials standing for a hyphenated French name should. . . be hyphenated” (Chicago 8.11). Back to Top
 * **Before Editing** || **After Editing** ||
 * Jean-Paul Sartre was a leading 20th century French philosopher, screenwriter, novelist, and critic || J.-P. Sartre was a leading 20th century French philosopher, screenwriter, novelist, and critic ||

 =6.4 Capitalizing Professional Titles=

“Civil, military, religious, and professional titles are capitalized when they immediately precede a personal name and are. . . used as part of the name (usually replacing the title holder’s first name). Titles are normally lowercased when following a name or used in place of a name” (Chicago 8.21).
 * **Before Editing** || **After Editing** ||
 * Please email your query about the Punctuation topic in the MSPTC Editing Guide to Professor Elliot. The Professor, whose students originally created the guide for PTC-624, will be glad to elaborate on this subject || Please email your query about the Punctuation topic in the MSPTC Editing Guide to Professor Elliot. The professor, whose students originally created the guide for PTC-624, will be glad to elaborate on the subject ||

 =6.5 Capitalizing Regional Terms=

“Regional terms (often based on points of the compass) that are accepted as proper names but do not normally appear on maps are usually capitalized. Adjectives and nouns derived from such terms, however, are usually lowercased” (Chicago 8.49).
 * **Before Editing** || **After Editing** ||
 * The midwest chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association Inc. has created a respite program (Michele Seugling). || The Midwest chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association Inc. has created a respite program (Michele Seugling). ||

Back to Top

Source: __The Chicago Manual Online__, Chapter 7, Spelling, Distinctive Treatment of Words, and Compounds

For more information: See Joseph Gibaldi’s __MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers__ for brief and useful guidelines for spelling (consistency, word division, plurals and foreign words) (3.11–3.1.4).

 =6.6 Spelling and Writing in International English=

As the world becomes more multicultural with the expansion of the Internet, English is becoming the most frequently used language on the Web. As a result, it is important to address the nuances of the English language. It’s also important to address the similarities and differences of American English with English spoken in other parts of the world, particularly Britain and the British Commonwealth countries.

**6.6.1 American** **Versus British/Commonwealth** **Spelling**
According to Carolyn Rude in her book, //Technical Editing//, “Spellings differ in countries even where the language is the same. For example, British and American English spell words differently. A British person would write 'whilst', 'amongst' and 'coulour,' whereas an American would write 'while,' 'among,' and 'color.' Choose the spelling for the countries where most readers reside.” (145)



6.6.2 //Lingua Franca//
Author Carolyn Rude referred to David Crystal, British linguist and author of //English as a Global Language//, in her book, //Technical Editing.// Crystal determined that there is now a global //lingua franca//, namely educated English in everyday use. Native English is spoken in Australia, Canada, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, the United States, and Wales. Countries that have English as a second language include former British colonies such as Nigeria and Malaysia. British English is most commonly taught as a second language, with American English taught as a second language only in Mexico, Central and South America, Philippines, and other U.S. protectorates.



6.6.3 Dialect
There are some peculiarities between British and American English, while Canadian English seems to be a little bit of both dialects, and has some of its own exceptions. American Noah Webster, “who wanted to Americanize the newly independent nation’s written dialect,” influenced some of the spellings that are standard in both dialects. (Rude 351) H.W. Fowler, who authored //Fowler’s Modern English Usage// (the third edition is the most recent version) with a domestic British audience in mind, also had a great influence on the proper usage of various English words and expressions.



6.6.4 Grammar
The main difference in grammar between British and American is that the British think of collective nouns like “family” and “team” as plural, whereas Americans see them as singular. (Rude 352)



6.6.5 Tautonymy and Heteronymy
The other considerations to keep in mind when discussing the differences between British and American English, as Carolyn Rude points out, are //tautonymy//, which concerns ”words that look the same but have different meanings,” and //heteronymy//, which is ”a word that has the same meaning in some contexts but a different meaning in others.” (352) These are big distinguishers in determining the differences between the two dialects.

A good example of heteronymy would be the word “cheap.”.As explained by Roger Axtell in his book, //Do's and Taboos of Using English Around the World//, “Cheap, for Americans, connotes something of poor quality; in England, however, it is used more often to refer to something inexpensive, as in a cheap day ticket on the railroad.” (52)

When looking at Axtell’s analysis, an English speaker, from either dialect, could probably understand the word “cheap” in either context.

But what most people find as the key difference between the two main versions of English is the many examples of tautonymy. Axtell also provides a great example of tautonymy, using the phrase, “to table.” In British circles, it would mean having an issue put up for immediate consideration; for Americans, it would mean to put it aside or delay the action. (63) Here’s another good example: what Americans call the subway, the British call the underground, and what the British call the subway is what Americans call a pedestrian underpass.

6.6.6 American/British Pairs of Words

 * Table 6.1** (Rude 353-354, Walmsley 1)
 * **American English** || **British English** ||
 * (to) act upon (an issue) || table ||
 * advice columnist || agony aunt ||
 * antenna || aerial ||
 * bandage || plaster ||
 * big truck || juggernaut ||
 * billion || milliard or thousand million ||
 * biscuit (baking powder) || scone ||
 * bobby pin || hair grip ||
 * bouncer || chucker-out ||
 * camping trailer || caravan ||
 * cigarette || fag ||
 * construction ahead || works ahead ||
 * cookie or cracker || biscuit ||
 * costume/masquerade || fancy dress ||
 * counterclockwise || anticlockwise ||
 * day-care provider || child minder ||
 * dead end || close ||
 * diaper || nappy ||
 * elevator || lift ||
 * escalator || moving stairs ||
 * exit || way out ||
 * expiration date || expiry date ||
 * first floor || ground floor ||
 * flashlight || torch ||
 * 14 pounds (of weight) || 1 stone ||
 * french fries || chips ||
 * gasoline || petrol ||
 * gelatin dessert || jelly ||
 * grade (school evaluation) || mark ||
 * grade (year in school) || form ||
 * ground beef || mince ||
 * hardware store || ironmonger ||
 * hood (of a car) || bonnet ||
 * landslide || landslip ||
 * knickers || knickerbockers ||
 * (to) lease || let ||
 * outlet (electrical) || socket ||
 * parking lot || car park ||
 * pedestrian underpass || subway ||
 * pennies || pence ||
 * photo || snap ||
 * pickup || van ||
 * pitcher || jug ||
 * popsicle || ice lolly ||
 * potato chips || crisps ||
 * public housing project || council estate ||
 * quadrillion || thousand billion ||
 * quintillion || trillion ||
 * (to) rent || hire ||
 * rest area, wayside || lay-by ||
 * roller coaster || switchback ||
 * sausage || banger ||
 * scalper || ticket-tout ||
 * second floor || first floor ||
 * semi-trailer truck || lorry ||
 * 7-Up (or other lemon-lime drink) || lemonade ||
 * shopping cart || trolley ||
 * shoulder (of road) || verge (for the parking portion; the portion that falls away into the ditch is the shoulder) ||
 * sidewalk || pavement ||
 * (to) slate || cancel ||
 * snap (on clothing) || gripper ||
 * (to) splurge || lash out ||
 * stove || cooker ||
 * subway (train) || underground or tube ||
 * suspenders || braces ||
 * sweater || jumper ||
 * (to) table an issue || set aside ||
 * toilet paper || bumph (can also refer to needless documents) ||
 * tongs || nips ||
 * traffic circle || circus or roundabout ||
 * trash || rubbish ||
 * trillion || billion ||
 * truck || lorry ||
 * underpants || knickers ||
 * undershirt || vest ||
 * vest || waistcoat ||
 * whine || whinge ||
 * wrench || spanner ||
 * (to) yield (on road) || give way ||



6.6.7 Localization
Carolyn Rude suggests in //Technical Editing// that when writing for an international audience, the best solution is to choose the version of English that works the best with the audience you are writing for, adapting your material for the local culture. She writes, "Choose the spelling for the countries where most readers reside.” (145, 355) For more information, see [|MS-PTC Editing Guide Section 1.6.3.1].

 =6.7 Retaining Original Spelling in Quotations=

//The Chicago Manual of Style// is very exacting about retaining the original spelling in quotations. In general, if the quotation is a direct quotation, then the original should be followed exactly in the reproduction, especially with respect to the wording, spelling, capitalization and internal punctuation. There are some exceptions that are permitted in some instances, however. Per Chicago 11.8, the following rules are the exception:
 * Single quotation marks may be changed to double, and double to single.
 * The initial letter may be changed to a capital or a lowercase letter.
 * The final period may be omitted or changed to a comma as required, and punctuation may be omitted where ellipsis points are used.
 * Original notes and note reference marks may be omitted unless omission would affect the meaning of the quotation. If an original note is included, the quotation should be set off as a block quotation with the note in smaller type at the end, or the note may be summarized in the accompanying text. Authors may, on the other hand, add note references of their own within quotations.
 * Obvious typographical errors may be corrected silently (without comment or sic;) unless the passage quoted is from an older work or a manuscript source where idiosyncrasies of spelling are generally preserved. If spelling and punctuation are modernized or altered for clarity, readers must be so informed in a note, in a preface, or elsewhere.
 * In quoting from early printed documents, the archaic ᶘ, used at the beginning or the middle but never at the end of a lowercase work ("Such goodneᶘs of your juᶘtice, that our ᶘoul..."), may be changed to a modern s. Similarly, //V//anitie and //V//ncertantie (in a quoted title) may be changed to Vanitie and Uncertaintie, but writers or editors without a stong background in classical or Renaissance studies should generally be wary of changing u to v, i to j or vice versa. (11.8)

=Works Cited=

Axtell, Roger E. //Do's and Taboos of Using English Around the World.// New York: Castle Books, 2009. Print.

//The Chicago Manual of Style Online//. 15th Ed. Chicago: U Chicago P, 2007. January 28-31, 2008 <[]>

Gibaldi, Joseph. //MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers//. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.

Rude, Carolyn D. //Technical Editing//__.__ New York: Pearson Education., 2006. Print

The University of Chicago. //The Chicago Manual of Style//, 15th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2003. Print.

Walmsley, Jane. //Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: An Irreverent Guide to Understanding the Great Cultural Ocean that//. New York: Viking Penguin, 1987. Print.