Quantcast
A Way with Words, public radio's lively language call-in show, hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett.
Listen | Newsletter | Ask a Question | Donate Now | Sponsorship |Discussion Forums
Discussion Forums | Start a New Discussion
 
You must be logged in to post Login Register
Search Forums:


 






Minimum search word length is 4 characters – Maximum search word length is 84 characters
Wildcard Usage:
*  matches any number of characters    %  matches exactly one character

 

A Way with Words is supported in part by:

 

The University of San Diego   National University: Change your future today.

ean vs. ian suffix?

UserPost

4:15PM
Jan-28-12


Heimhenge

New River, AZ, USA

Member

posts 312

For something I'm writing I'd really like to uses the term northern hemispherean to describe someone who lives north of the equator. It just sounds cool. Not surprisingly, spell check flagged hemisperean. There … did it again.

I know it's not in accepted use (I searched for it). My question is on the suffix, since I don't want to "violate" some general rule I'm not aware of. I used "ean" simply because "hemisphere" ends with an "e." Then I got started thinking maybe "ian" might be better.

Any insights or input welcome. Thanks.

1:15AM
Jan-29-12


tromboniator

Member

posts 215

Given the examples of European and Shakespearean, I would say there is nothing wrong with your choice. My support for its adoption is in no way influenced by the fact that I love it. And the second flagging only occurred because you left out an h!

 

Peter

11:33AM
Jan-29-12


Heimhenge

New River, AZ, USA

Member

posts 312

Thanks for the input. I also thought of "European," and a few other adjectives where the root ended with an "e," and that pattern was what influenced my choice of the "ean" suffix.

Yeah, I see that typo now. I had told spell check to ignore hemispherean when I was composing the original article, but not to add it (just yet). Now I'm wondering if the spell check in this forum is the same spell check that runs locally through MS Office, or if it's a separate system in this forum. Never really understood how that works. Spell check flagged it again in this response.

My article doesn't go online till tomorrow. I'll post a link then for those interested. But unless someone else weighs in with a strong argument for using the "ian" suffix, I'm gonna go with "ean."

8:10AM
Jan-30-12


Heimhenge

New River, AZ, USA

Member

posts 312

Post edited 8:11AM – Jan-30-12 by Heimhenge


Don't normally reply to myself, but wanted to follow up with that link as promised. I decided to stay with the hemispherean spelling in that blog post I was talking about. It's a bit geekier than most of my posts … actually needed to use some math. But if you're interested, you can read it here:

http://heimhenge.com/skylights/?p=3262

10:35AM
Jan-30-12


EmmettRedd

Admin

posts 412

Heimhenge said:

Don't normally reply to myself, …

Rather than reply to yourself, you could simply edit your previous post.

Emmett

1:23PM
Jan-30-12


Bob Bridges

USA

Member

posts 395

Well, not any more, he can't :-) .