In my youth I saw vulcanology used to describe the study of volcanoes, but lately that spelling isn't recognized as proper. Do others use the "u" spelling, or am I the last one?
Originally posted by Geoff: In my youth I saw vulcanology used to describe the study of volcanoes, but lately that spelling isn't recognized as proper. Do others use the "u" spelling, or am I the last one?
How else could it possibly be spelled? I’m with you, Geoff.
Vulcan (later vulcano) is an obsolete word for volcano (OED Online, attested from c1400), apparently named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking. The first known use of volcano was 1665 (M-W). Volcanology came out much later (attested from 1800) and vulcanology later still (attested from 1859). You’ll still see words like vulcano, vulcanic, and volcanology. Try not to let it upset you.
It is interesting how words and use of language can be upsetting, isn't it? I have a friend who always says "amendable" for "amenable," and it just grates on me.
Originally posted by tinman: Vulcan (later vulcano) is an obsolete word for volcano (OED Online, attested from c1400), apparently named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworking. The first known use of volcano was 1665 (M-W). Volcanology came out much later (attested from 1800) and vulcanology later still (attested from 1859). You’ll still see words like vulcano, vulcanic, and volcanology. Try not to let it upset you.
Hi tinman, doing a driveby today. Interesting. I've noticed that in regional southern-Italian accents, u vowel is often sounded for o [official spelling] - e.g. "moh-tsa-reh-la" north, "MOO-tsa-REL south for mozzarella. Just follows the typical 'embouchure' for the area. I've noticed that in a number of languages' etymology, there have been u and o variants, like this one in English. Volcano is easier to say than vulcano in today's slack-jawed English. But vulcanology is easier than volcanology. Guess we just like to keep our spelling consistent.
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Originally posted by Proofreader: Apparently there's alanguage crisis in Quebec.
Tempest in a teapot, eh? The French used to be so particular about this sort of thing. I've been reading mystery novels by Michel Bussi. He's very attuned to local lingo. The novels set near Le Havre show a shocking level of English words mixed routinely into daily dialog. But then the one I'm reading now is set in Réunion, & regular speech by French immigrants is sprinkled with Bantu, Tamil, et al words.
I don't know. When we were in Paris, the people were very friendly toward us and very willing to speak in either English or French - with the exception of one waiter who finally said, "Just order in English!"
I am reminded of a New Yorker cartoon of many years ago depicting a flummoxed diner in a French restaurant who is told by the waiter, "Now that you have told me to unsaddle the horses, the innkeeper has caught fire, would you care to order in English?"
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