|
|
"Ise" or "Ize"?
Freedom of choice can be a terrible responsibility. Faced with two acceptable alternative spellings in English, how do you make up your mind? Do you work for an organisation or an organization? Last year, did your company realise profits or realize them? Is it simply a matter of choosing between "British" English and "American" English? This article should help you the next time you find yourself agonising or agonizing over this question. People who are trying to master English as a foreign language may find inconsistencies in the spelling rules to be one of the most troublesome aspects. In the case of the suffix "ise" or "ize", you have probably learned that this is one of those quaint distinctions between British and American style. Tony Blair is surely scandalised by Clinton's notorious womanizing and Cherie can probably sympathise with Hilary for feeling traumatized by it. On the Continent, of course, we're much too busy trying to harmonize our economies to become mesmerized by the personal lives of our politicians. And speaking of harmonizing, why not just choose "ise" or "ize" once and for all? Surprise! When it comes to English, there will always be exceptions. "It's all Greek to me" is an English expression which means that something is confusing, the equivalent of the French "J'y perds mon latin". This brings us to the heart of the matter. The difference between "ize" and "ise" is that the "ize" spelling is derived from the Greek "izein" while "ise" is the French version which comes from the Latin "izare". To summarize, in modern French, the suffix has become "iser" for words derived from the Greek such as "baptiser, évangéliser and organiser" as well as for those formed from the Latin such as "civiliser, cicatriser, humaniser". On this basis, historically, some have chosen the spelling "ise" for all of these words in English, while others have reserved "ise" for those derived from Latin and "ize" for those from Greek, such as "analyze or theorize". The origins of some words ending in the "ize" sound have nothing to do with Greek and have thus remained exempt from the controversy. For example, the following are always spelled with "ise": advertise, advise, apprise, chastise, comprise, compromise, demise, despise, disenfranchise, disguise, enterprise, excise, exercise, improvise, supervise, surmise, surprise. Noah's lark Sign of the Times In international business, it seems that "anything goes". Nowadays, the European Commission may be the closest thing we have to an academy. The translation service of the Commission advocates "ise" for the reason that it avoids questions of exceptions (see above). Etymological purists notwithstanding, this is probably the most convenient solution for non-native speakers. Meanwhile, you will find that most company Web sites use "ize" spelling, so once again, technology is making its mark on the language and it looks like spelling will remain a matter of choice for some time to come.
E-mail this article to your colleague! Need more translation jobs? Click here! Translation agencies are welcome to register here - Free! Freelance translators are welcome to register here - Free! |
|
|
Legal Disclaimer Site Map |