Sharp PW-E500 operation manual Spelling, Variant spellings, Ise or ize?, Hyphenation

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Spelling

It is often said that English spelling is both irregular and illogical, and it is certainly true that it is only indirectly related to contemporary pronunciation. English spelling reflects not modern pronunciation but the pronunciation of the 14th century, as used by Chaucer. This traditional spelling was reinforced in the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular through the influence of the works of Shakespeare and the Authorized Version of the Bible. However, in the two centuries between Chaucer and Shakespeare English pronunciation had undergone huge changes, but spelling had failed to follow.

In the 18th century, standard spelling became almost completely fixed. The dictionaries written in this period, particularly Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755), helped establish this national standard, which, with only minor change and variation, is the standard accepted in English today. The complex history of the English language, together with the absence of any ruling body imposing ‘spelling reform’, has ensured that many idiosyncrasies and anomalies in standard spelling have not only arisen but have also been preserved.

The Oxford Dictionary of English gives advice and information on spelling, particularly those cases which are irregular or which otherwise cause difficulty for native speakers. The main categories are summarized below.

Variant spellings

The main form of each word given in the Oxford Dictionary of English is always the standard British spelling. If there is a standard variant, e.g. a standard US spelling variant, this is indicated at the top of the entry and is cross-referred if its alphabeti- cal position is more than three entries distant from the main entry. For examples, compare filo/phyllo and aluminium/aluminum.

Other variants, such as archaic, old-fashioned, or informal spellings, are cross- referred to the main entry, but are not themselves listed at the parent entry. For example, compare Esquimau/Eskimo.

-ise or ize?

Many verbs end with the suffix –izeor ise. The form –izehas been in use in English since the 16th century, and, despite what some people think, is not an Americanism. The alternative form –iseis found more commonly in British than in American English. For most verbs of this class either –izeor –iseis acceptable; this dictionary has used –izespellings, with –isegiven as an equally correct, alternative spelling. For some words, however, -iseis obligatory: first, where it forms part of a larger word element, such as –mise(= sending) in compromise, and –prise(= taking) in surprise; and second, in verbs corresponding to nouns with –s-in the stem, such as advertise and televise.

Hyphenation

Although standard spelling in English is fixed, the use of hyphenation is not. In standard English a few general rules are followed, and these are outlined below.

Hyphenation of noun compounds: There is no hard-and-fast rule saying whether, for example, airstream, air stream, or air-streamis correct. All forms are found in use: all are recorded in the Oxford English Corpus and other standard texts.

However, there is a broad tendency to avoid hyphenation for noun compounds in modern English (except when used to show grammatical function: see below). Thus there is, for example, a preference for airstream rather than air-streamand for air raid rather than air-raid. Although this is a tendency in both British and US English there is an additional preference in US English for the form to be one word and in British English for the form to be two words, e.g. buck tooth tends to be the commonest form in British English, while bucktooth tends to be the commonest form in US English. To save space and avoid confusion, only one of the three potential forms of each noun compound (the standard British one) is used as the headword form in the Oxford Dictionary of English. This does not, however, imply that other forms are incorrect or not used.

Grammatical function: Hyphens are also used to perform certain grammatical functions. When a noun compound made up of two separate words (e.g. credit card) is placed before another noun and used to modify it, the general rule is that the noun compound becomes hyphenated, e.g. I used my credit card but credit-card debt. This sort of regular alternation is seen in example sentences in the Oxford Dictionary of English but is not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the dictionary entries.

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Contents PW-E500 Introduction Contents Getting Started Using the PW-E500 for the first timeExample Turning the power on/offAuto power off function Key notation used in this manualData contained in the PW-E500 Layout Key assignments Display symbolsOperation guidance message Inputting words for a dictionary search Basic OperationSelecting a dictionary / function in the main menu Filter search view selecting an item scrolling List view selecting an item scrollingShifting the displayed character size z Detail view scrollingRecalling the terms previously searched h Searching a word on the screen Listing a summary of detail view items qBrowsing Notes r Set-up Menu Setting the key sound on/offInputting Characters Setting the Auto power off activation timeAdjusting the LCD contrast Starting Auto Demo mode4WD Modifying entryIf there is no match found Looking up a word Filter searchBrowsing Notes Crossword solver Phrase searchSpellcheck function Anagram solverIf the list of words do not appear as expected Further informationThesaurus of English Press tto open the New Oxford Thesaurus of English Searching by an author name Filter search Using the Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsPress uto open the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Keyword searchRandom quote Theme searchHow to use the Super Jump function Using the Super Jump functionAbout the detail view after the Jump Specifying a Dictionary to jump toDeleting a history item How to use the History functionDeleting the history list of a Dictionary Calculation examples Prior to initiating calculationsExample Operation Display Currency converter Setting a currency rateConverting currencies Units capable of being converted Metric converterWhen to replace the battery Replacing the batteryBattery used PrecautionsSpecifications Reset procedure if trouble occursReset procedures Product support TroubleshootingNose Oxford Dictionary of EnglishIntroduction Structure Core Sense and SubsenseSpecialized case of the core sense, e.g Encyclopedic Material Specialist VocabularyTerms relating to nouns GrammarTerms relating to verbs Other terms relating to nounsTerms relating to adjectives Oxford Reading Programme Evidence and Illustrative ExamplesTerms relating to adverbs Oxford English Corpus Specialist reading Word Histories Examples Standard English Usage NotesWorld English Hyphenation SpellingVariant spellings Ise or ize?Verbs InflectionNouns Adjectives PronunciationsConsonants Foreign pronunciationsNew Oxford Thesaurus of English Synonyms Selection of entriesTables a table is displayed as a in this model HomonymsIllustrative examples Phrasal verbs and idiomatic phrases Linguistic evidenceRegister standard vs informal and regional English Opposites Awkward synonyms and confusables Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsRelated terms Combining formsPage Page How to use the Dictionary Keyword Search Theme SearchMemo Memo Europe Sharp Corporation
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