NationStates Jolt Archive

Since there's a large proportion of US-Americans and Canadians on these forums, I guess the poll will be scewed towards the US-American spelling. However, check out this part of the Wikipedia entry for Aluminium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium):


Spelling

The official IUPAC spelling of the element is aluminium; however, Americans and Canadians generally spell and pronounce it aluminum.

In 1808, Humphry Davy originally proposed the name alumium whilst trying to electrolytically isolate the new metal from the mineral alumina. A couple of years later he changed the name to aluminum to match its Latin root, but was finally persuaded to restore the -ium ending in 1812 giving aluminium. This had the advantage of conforming to the -ium suffix precedent set by other newly discovered elements of the period potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and strontium (all of which Davy had isolated himself). However, for the next thirty years, both the -um and -ium endings were used in the scientific literature.

Curiously America adopted the -ium for most of the 19th century with aluminium appearing in Webster's Dictionary of 1828. However Charles Martin Hall selected the -um spelling in an advertising handbill for his new efficient electrolytic method for the production of aluminium, four years after he had patented the process in 1888. Although this spelling may have been an accident, Hall's domination of aluminium production ensured that the -um ending became the standard in North America, even though the Webster Unabridged Dictionary of 1913 continued to use the -ium version. In 1926 the American Chemical Society decided officially to use aluminum in its publications.

Meanwhile most of Europe had standardised on the -ium spelling. In 1990 the IUPAC adopted aluminium as the standard international name for the element. Aluminium is also the name used in French, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish; Italian uses alluminio, Portuguese alumínio and Spanish aluminio. (The use of these words in these other languages is one of the reasons IUPAC chose aluminium over aluminum.) In 1993, IUPAC recognized aluminum as an acceptable variant, but still prefers the use of aluminium.

So which do you commonly use in your language/country?

Aluminium.

And it's not just spelling, either. We say them differently too.

Aluminium, with the i.

As my English teacher put it - "We have grown accustom to the perversion of the English language."

Spell and pronounce it "aluminium", because that's what it's called in Swedish, that's what I was taught in English class, and because "aluminum" sounds stupid, imho.

Aluminium & pronounce it with the extra 'i' too.

aluminium, both in writing and in talking, but that is in french (although I believe the word is latin or something like that).

Well currently the poll is definitely in favour of the international spelling of "Aluminium". I didn't expect it to be this clear too :D

Ein Deutscher']Well currently the poll is definitely in favour of the international spelling of "Aluminium". I didn't expect it to be this clear too :D

I buy bar stock for use in my hobby. I usually refer to it by its alloy number (6160, etc). I just went through my catalogs, including all the foreign ones, and none of them spell it as "aluminium".

Neither. I can't spell that word. Sometimes it's "alunimum", other times its "aluninum". It's not my fault I can't pronounce it either.

I buy bar stock for use in my hobby. I usually refer to it by its alloy number (6160, etc). I just went through my catalogs, including all the foreign ones, and none of them spell it as "aluminium".

Catalogues are nearly always regionalised. (I have translated enough in my time, to both UK English and US English) If you are picking up the catalogues in the US than I woud expect them to use aluminum, and to be called catalogs. If you get a European catalogue, it will say aluminium and be called a catalogue.

I use aluminium, because that is what I grew up using, and what I was taught in chemistry. In Portuguese it is alumínio, with the extra i.

I use aluminium, because that is what I grew up using, and what I was taught in chemistry. In Portuguese it is alumínio, with the extra i.

Which is why everyone who actually uses aluminum knows what 6160 is.

So what more proof do we need to conclude that the US spelling is incorrect and came about due to a tragic misspelling over a hundred years ago?

Ein Deutscher']So what more proof do we need to conclude that the US spelling is incorrect and came about due to a tragic misspelling over a hundred years ago?

Well, we could start with the way that the UK got everyone to misspell certain German city names...

Well, we could start with the way that the UK got everyone to misspell certain German city names...
That has nothing to do with this thread. The end.

Ein Deutscher']That has nothing to do with this thread. The end.

This thread is about how the US did something wrong by misspelling a word. There's also the implication that other nations don't do this sort of thing.
I'm saying it's rampant.

Ein Deutscher']So what more proof do we need to conclude that the US spelling is incorrect and came about due to a tragic misspelling over a hundred years ago?

All we conclude, my aryan friend, is that you have a serious hard-on for all things American. Get over yourself.

<--- There you go. ;)

Aluminuminuminuminum

If you speak english, as in the english language spoken by the english (often defined as the Queens English), it should be aluminium.

If you're american it's not your fault your forbearers couldnt spell it. Nor Colour come to that. It's an americanism, not true english.

aluminium

i didnt even know it was spelt any differently until now, i just thought people pronounced it differently

I have always spelled it - aluminum. I never knew it was incorrect. Sort of blows my image of a Spelling/Grammar Nazi," huh?

image of a Spelling/Grammar Nazi
http://img218.exs.cx/img218/3370/grammarnazi8vu.jpg

I have always spelled it - aluminum. I never knew it was incorrect. Sort of blows my image of a Spelling/Grammar Nazi," huh?
Not really, the spelling was actually changed to include the 'americanism' as being correct. There are several elements that have had the spelling changed - mostly in the US, but if memory serves me correctly there is one spelling unique to the UK as well. So anyone blowing that horn may well want to check it out! ;)

Not really, the spelling was actually changed to include the 'americanism' as being correct. There are several elements that have had the spelling changed - mostly in the US, but if memory serves me correctly there is one spelling unique to the UK as well. So anyone blowing that horn may well want to check it out! ;)

Thank you, LM. I feel better.
I love words so, I at least like to know that I am spelling/using them correctly.

http://img218.exs.cx/img218/3370/grammarnazi8vu.jpg

Put some long, curly hair on him and - could be me! lol

Meh, a language is what the people speaking it make of it. So, if a groups decided to spell it or pronounce differently than other group neither is right or wrong. It's simply how they use their language.

Next you'll be telling me that I should pronounce my Spanish like they do in Spain, and say "vos tenéis" instead of "ustedes tienen".

In Spanish it's "aluminio", though. I usually spell it "aluminum" in English because that's how I mostly see it written.

Thank you, LM. I feel better.
I love words so, I at least like to know that I am spelling/using them correctly.
No problem! And for reference only...

The other jumbled spellings of elements:

Cs = Cesium in the US, Caesium is the standard English terminology otherwise

S = Sulphur in the UK, Sulfur is the standard English terminology otherwise

For some reason I thought there were more, but from the looks of things this is it. If someone else knows differently, please post - inquiring minds would love to know! :)

I'm from the UK, but for some reason i spell/pronounce it aluminum. It just sounds kinda xül. er, which is how i spell/pronounce 'cool'. :rolleyes:

As my English teacher put it - "We have grown accustom to the perversion of the English language."

Actually, your English teacher probably said "We have grown accustomed to the perversion of the English language," and likely would laugh at the irony of your post.

Next you'll be telling me that I should pronounce my Spanish like they do in Spain, and say "vos tenéis" instead of "ustedes tienen".

if you want to be understood in all regions of spain, you should speak it correctly.

Just like the UK (liverpudlian for example) and the US (the southern accent) spain has regional dialects. Here hasta luego is the standard "see you again soon" good bye but it's pronounced tal-luego, or ta'luego.

I would never go to seville or madrid and expect them to understand the andalucian accent i hear, any more than i understand strong regional accents in the UK.

Yeah, those damn Americans should quit their bastardization of Proto-Indo European. Bastards.

I spell and pronounce it "Aluminum". But, seeing that "Aluminium" is the original spelling and pronunciation, I guess I'll start using it.

I would never go to seville or madrid and expect them to understand the andalucian accent i hear, any more than i understand strong regional accents in the UK.
But they would understand Mexican. Oh, yes, believe me they would. In fact, most Spanish speakers around the world would understand Mexican or Colombian much easier than the heavy Madrid accent. Even Sevillanos would find it more acceptable.

Al-U-Min-ee-um...I never heard it pronounced the other way until I heard it on some American TV show...hell, even our aluminium cooking foil is spelt with the 'i'

I'm a syllable-whore. Aluminium has rhythm. Aluminum leaves me feeling cheated of a vowel sound I so desperately deserve.

Al-U-Min-ee-um...I never heard it pronounced the other way until I heard it on some American TV show...hell, even our aluminium cooking foil is spelt with the 'i'

I'm a syllable-whore. Aluminium has rhythm. Aluminum leaves me feeling cheated of a vowel sound I so desperately deserve.
Lol that's exactly right. :D

I prefer Al

Aluminum, cuz I've lived in America all my life.

This thread has a lot of angst at regional vernacular variations.

I, and most people in the U.S., spell it Aluminum..
it is entered as such in dictionaries, and Aluminium is defined as 'chiefly British'
:rolleyes:

Ein Deutscher']Since there's a large proportion of US-Americans and Canadians on these forums, I guess the poll will be scewed towards the US-American spelling. However, check out this part of the Wikipedia entry for Aluminium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium):


So which do you commonly use in your language/country?

I spell it aluminum, and pronounce it that way, too.

I, and most people in the U.S., spell it Aluminum..
it is entered as such in dictionaries, and Aluminium is defined as 'chiefly British'
:rolleyes:
The dictionaries are about the US-English though. My British English dictionary has Aluminium as the definition in it. Besides, pretty much the entire rest of the world spells it with the i.