Jim, John, James & list: >.....Chester H. Page is listed as an editor of the > > (UK) National Physical Laboratory English language translation of Le > > Système International d'Unités (SI), but his name does not appear.....
I think I have argued invain since here the discussion is NOT for 'SI Metric usage' of spellings but that for correcting the meaning, as understood from parental phonetic pronounciation! It is good have discussion for a better universal approach of the problem BUT not for ensuring: "I know but I cannot endorse attitude". It is not the public opinion that need fall heavy over 'technical usage of the SI Metric language'; but what is logical for getting in steps with rest of the world to accept or reject Le Systeme Internationale d'Unites. It is unfortuante we are letting Law to follow opinion. Regards, Brij Bhushan Vij Today: (MJD 2454948)/1361+D-126W17-06 (G. Saturday, 2009 April 25H21:11 (decimal) EST Aa Nau Bhadra Kritvo Yantu Vishwatah -Rg Veda Jan:31; Feb:29; Mar:31; Apr:30; May:31; Jun:30 Jul:30; Aug:31; Sep:30; Oct:31; Nov:30; Dec:30 (365th day of Year is World Day) My Profile:http://www.brijvij.com/bbv_2col-vipBrief.pdf HOME PAGE: http://www.brijvij.com/ ******As per Kali V-GRhymeCalendaar***** "Koi bhi cheshtha vayarth nahin hoti, purshaarth karne mein hai" Contact # 001 (201) 675-8548 > Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:37:12 -0500 > From: j...@metricmethods.com > To: usma@colostate.edu > Subject: [USMA:44870] Re: IEEE/ASTM SI-10 > > > "Two countries separated by a common language." Take your pick, Wilde or > Shaw (not Churchill). But Noah Webster was prescient. > > Jim > > Pat Naughtin wrote: > > On 2009/04/25, at 11:04 PM, John M. Steele wrote: > > > >> I suppose it is all a matter of how your mothre and fathre taught you > >> to spell. :) > >> > >> It has never been clear to me when British English uses -er and when > >> it uses -re. The -re ending is very uncommon in American English, > >> although there are exceptions like acre, where -er would change the c > >> from hard to soft. > >> > >> Obviously I could concede two words out of all the spelling > >> differences, but, in general, I prefer the simplified American > >> spellings, which have been around since the time of Noah Webster. In > >> most words, the differences are minor and I read right over them. > >> There are a few medical words in which we have simplified dipthongs, > >> and I actually have to stop myself and ask "is that the same word?" > >> > >> I know you will point out the use of theatre and centre in the US, but > >> they are only used in proper names, and, frankly, by organizations > >> attempting to be somewhat "snooty." > >> > >> I will point out that meter and liter have been used in the US at > >> least since the Metric Act of 1866. They appear in the original text; > >> those spellings have a basis in Federal law. > >> > > > > Dear John, > > > > Several points: > > > > 1 I like your spelling of mothre and fathre. > > > > 2 Noah Webster balked on acre because of its obvious mispronunciation > > when it is spelled acer. > > > > 3 Noah Webster had good commercial reasons for wanting the USA to spell > > in a different way to the rest of the world. In /An Essay on the > > Necessity, Advantages, and Practicality of Reforming the Mode of > > Spelling/ …, Noah Webster wrote: > > > > /But a capital advantage of this reform in these states would be, that > > it would make a difference between the English orthography and the > > American. This will startle those who have not attended to the subject; > > but I am confident that such an event is an object of vast political > > consequence. For, … The alteration, however small, would encourage > > the publication of books in our own country. It would render it, in some > > measure, necessary that all books should be printed in America. The > > English would never copy our orthography for their own use; and > > consequently the same impressions of books would not answer for both > > countries. The inhabitants of the present generation would read the > > English impressions; but posterity, being taught a different > > spelling, would prefer the American orthography./ > > > > > > 4 The spelling of metre has changed from time to time in the USA. > > Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson consistently used the spelling — > > metre — from about 1780. I have not seen it, but I accept your statement > > that Congress used Noah Webster's spelling — meter — in 1866. The USA > > signed the /Treaty of the metre/ (note spelling) in 1875. In > > 1971, Chester H. Page of the National Bureau of Standards NBS (now > > National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST) approved > > a translation of the defining SI document (from 1960) that showed the > > basic unit of length as the metre and it was understood that a > > 'gentlemen's agreement' had been made whereby the USA would accept the > > -re in metre and litre as a trade-off for Britain's giving up the -me in > > gramme and kilogramme. Chester H. Page is listed as an editor of the > > (UK) National Physical Laboratory English language translation of Le > > Système International d'Unités (SI), but his name does not appear on the > > American version because he refused to allow it when the (USA) > > Government Printing Office insisted on the Noah Webster notion that the > > American spelling of metre should be meter. This spelling debate has > > continued in the USA since then. (For a more detailed history and > > discussion > > see http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/Spelling_metre_or_meter.pdf ) > > > > Cheers, > > > > Pat Naughtin > > > > PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, > > Geelong, Australia > > Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 > > > > Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped > > thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern > > metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save > > thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their > > businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different > > trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and > > government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's > > clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the > > metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. > > See http://www.metricationmatters.com > > <http://www.metricationmatters.com/>for more metrication information, > > contact Pat at pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com > > <mailto:pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com> or to get the free > > '/Metrication matters/' newsletter go > > to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe. > > > > -- > James R. Frysinger > 632 Stony Point Mountain Road > Doyle, TN 38559-3030 > > (C) 931.212.0267 > (H) 931.657.3107 > (F) 931.657.3108 > _________________________________________________________________ Rediscover Hotmail®: Now available on your iPhone or BlackBerry http://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Mobile2_042009
