0
Usenet Posted 18 years ago
English in UK
Meter and metre
According to every dictionary I have been able to find, the proper British spelling of "metre" ends in -re, whereas the proper British spelling of "perimeter" ends in -er.
Is there any reasonable explanation for this inconsistency?
Claus Tondering
Is there any reasonable explanation for this inconsistency?
Claus Tondering
Top answer
At 02:20:07 on Thu, 17 Jul 2008, ct (Email Removed) wrote in (Email Removed): [nq:1]According to every dictionary I have been able to find, the proper British spelling of "metre" ends in -re, whereas the proper British spelling of "perimeter" ends in -er. [/nq] There are two entirely different words here. 299,792,458 of a second".
- At 02:20:07 on Thu, 17 Jul 2008, ct (Email Removed) wrote in (Email Removed): [nq:1]According to every dictionary I have been able to find, the proper British spelling of "metre" ends in -re, whereas the proper British spelling of "perimeter" ends in -er.
- [/nq] There are two entirely different words here.
- 299,792,458 of a second".
- From this word come variants, such as kilometre for 1000 metres, centimeter for a hundredth of a metre, etc.
- ) "Meter", with an -er, refers to a measuring device, or to a measurement which is not confined to one specific distance (as with metre).
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
At 02:20:07 on Thu, 17 Jul 2008, ct (Email Removed) wrote in (Email Removed):
[nq:1]According to every dictionary I have been able to find, the proper British spelling of "metre" ends in -re, whereas the proper British spelling of "perimeter" ends in -er. Is there any reasonable explanation for this inconsistency?[/nq]
There are two entirely different words here. "Metre", with an -re, refe
[nq:1]According to every dictionary I have been able to find, the proper British spelling of "metre" ends in -re, whereas the proper British spelling of "perimeter" ends in -er. Is there any reasonable explanation for this inconsistency?[/nq]
There are two entirely different words here. "Metre", with an -re, refe
00
[nq:1]The phenomena is not without parallel analogies.[/nq]
In any other group I'd hesitate to mention this, but that should be "phenomenon". "Phenomena" is the plural.
John Hall "George the Third
Ought never to have occurred.
One can only wonder
At so grotesque a blunder." E.C.Bentley (1875-1956)
In any other group I'd hesitate to mention this, but that should be "phenomenon". "Phenomena" is the plural.
John Hall "George the Third
Ought never to have occurred.
One can only wonder
At so grotesque a blunder." E.C.Bentley (1875-1956)
00
[nq:2]The phenomena is not without parallel analogies.[/nq]
[nq:1] In any other group I'd hesitate to mention this, but that should be "phenomenon". "Phenomena" is the plural.[/nq]
Absolutely - that's almost precisely why this group was formed :-)
John Briggs
[nq:1] In any other group I'd hesitate to mention this, but that should be "phenomenon". "Phenomena" is the plural.[/nq]
Absolutely - that's almost precisely why this group was formed :-)
John Briggs
0
Related Questions