[MotherGoose]

Agreed, but i think you will find they have already slowly done so to a lot of words, i have noticed lots of words have changed like organization is now spelt with a S not a Z, colour has dropped the U, Labour has dropped the U, favourite has dropped the U, sad to say that gradually it is creeping into our world as the kids of today weren't taught the same way as we were.

I doubt that "they", whoever they are, have done anything as a deliberate policy. The change in spelling is likely due to widespread use of the internet and social media phenomena where we can access so many websites, many of which are American in origin.

The spelling of words with a Z instead of an S is actually correct (please see my post above). Spelling of Labor has also been explained above.

The English language, including usage and spelling, has been evolving and changing for centuries and will continue to do so. It is never going to stagnate into an "our way is the correct way" situation.

 

[PHW]

Agreed, but i think you will find they have already slowly done so to a lot of words, i have noticed lots of words have changed like organization is now spelt with a S not a Z, colour has dropped the U, Labour has dropped the U, favourite has dropped the U, sad to say that gradually it is creeping into our world as the kids of today weren't taught the same way as we were.

You mean "organisation is now spelt with a Z, not an S".

I agree, the kids of today are mostly learning via social media which originates from the US, like Facebook for example, and not from reading books written by quality English authors like we were told (and did) in school.

The effect of this is worse in other languages like French for example where I see not only the American spelling creeping in, but also a lot of American words (verbatim). They don't even bother attempting to translate them (wherever possible) and frankly, the translation is often so unusual that it doesn't help understanding.

Worse still, they don't even bother to pronounce the English words properly. So, when I read a technical text written in French (especially relating to the internet or to motoring), I have to learn how "they" pronounce the inserted English words in order to make myself understood. In most cases, they do it with an atrocious French accent which I then have to imitate or guess (not always easy).

But there are words they do pronounce (much) better and then just laugh at me, not understanding what on Earth I am talking about. As my sister told me, I almost have to re-learn my native language, both written and spoken as it has evolved so much over the last two or three decades.

This "phenomenon" is a serious degradation of the (in this case) French language in my opinion, and I am sure it applies to most other languages. It would be so much easier if everyone were to speak English, especially in a technical context.

 

[PHW]

The case of S versus Z is an interesting one, affecting words that typically end with the suffix -ise or -ize and their derivatives (-ises, -ised, -ising, -iser, -isation). Spelling with an S instead of as Z is a distinctively Australian practice. Americans almost always use Z and the British are somewhat divided in their usage. The arbiter or authority for correct spelling conventions is the Oxford English Dictionary which advocates the Z ending. The reason Z is more correct most of the time (but not always) is because most of the words that have an -ize ending are derived from the Greek -izo and -izein, which means to make or employ. So if a word carries the meaning "to make", it should be spelt with a z. For example sterilize, to make sterile.

Bill Bryson said, in his book "Troublesome Words", "It is one of the more arresting ironies of British usage that the leading authorities all prescribe -ize and hardly anyone pays them any heed. In this respect, The Oxford English Dictionary is at once the most venerated and most ignored of arbiters".

Yes, it is interesting and at times confusing, particularly with verbs which may not be derived from Greek but rather from Middle English, Old French or Latin such as:
- advertise
- compromise
- exercise
- revise
- advise
- despise
- improvise
- supervise
- apprise
- devise
- incise
etc.
... which don't usually get the "-ize" ending in British English.

And these don't usually get the "-yze" ending either in British English:
- analyse
- catalyse
- electrolyse
- paralyse
and so on...

Let us remember that it was in England that the 11th-century battle of Hastings was fought and won by the Norman "William the Conqueror". The English language was then subjected to a long period of influence by Anglo-French, which remained in literary and courtly use until the reign of Edward III and in legal reporting until the 17th century.

Since then, French phrases and words – funny quirks and all – continued to make their way into the English language. According to Wikipedia, 45% of all English words (not its grammar) have a French origin, such as both "joy" and "joyous" ("joie" and "joyeux" in modern French). French is derived mostly from Latin rather than Greek.

One of my favourite authors, William (Bill) McGuire Bryson is an American–British journalist and author. Born in the United States, he has been a resident of Britain for most of his adult life, returning to the U.S.

 

[Wandiwa]

What ever happened to GAOL? I think that very few of us spell it that way now!

And aeroplane, but I think that aeroplanes have always landed at airports not aeroports.

 

[featherfour]

After reading this please forgive me but can I be told why the political party in Australia has the spelling of Labor rather than Labour (I am originally from the UK so I was taught the English language and spelling and I always spell OR correct the spelling of colour).

I've wondered that myself. Had a quick look on Wikipedia, and there's a suggestion that it's because of influence from King O'Malley, who was born in the US. Ah, Mr Webster has a lot to answer for! ha ha