On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 14:58:53 +0200, "Roger Conroy"
wrote:


"Gene Fuller" wrote in message
...
Roger Conroy wrote:

[snip]

Why do you guys in the US always omit the "i" in aluminium ?


You mean the second "i"? Probably because we spell it correctly:
Aluminum.
;~)


But you do it ONLY to Alumin(i)um. What about Lithium, Barium, Chromium,
Ruthenium, Titanium, Uranium, and so on......?

Hmmmm, does "so on" also include Lanthanum, Molybdenum, Platinum, and
Tantalum?

73,
Gene
W4SZ

We're in complete agreement about those too.
We have 2 "groups" of metals that differ in having "um" or "ium" endings. It
is only Alumin(i)um that "switches groups" in crossing the Atlantic. When,
how and why did it happen?

The other one that is a consistent transatlantic difference is the group of
words that include colo(u)r, odo(u)r, favo(u)r, hono(u)r...... I can't think
of any "equivalent" anomalies there. ISTR hearing a radio show on language
that mentioned that there is at least one variety of North American English
that has kept the "u" - but I just can't remember who/where that is.

73
Roger ZR3RC



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