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Improving Mindat.orgsynonym ?

12th Jan 2018 14:06 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

https://www.mindat.org/min-51999.html should this not say it is a misspelling rather than a synonym?

12th Jan 2018 17:49 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Well, the description reads "Common misnomer."

12th Jan 2018 18:05 UTCOwen Lewis

Yes. Not synonym.Not misnomer. Misspelling or, perhaps, alternate spelling if there is sufficient common usage. Naming is a minefield. When and on what authority did baryte become barite other than by popular usage?

12th Jan 2018 18:39 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Ok, looks like I had wrong meaning of misnomer in my mind. Now changed to "Common misspelling."

Baryte vs barite: British English vs American English (this has been discussed in another thread). The "barite" spelling probably dates back a long time.

13th Jan 2018 12:25 UTCPeter Nancarrow 🌟 Expert

In my opinion, the term 'British English' is a cringeworthy misnomer; there is English, as spoken in many countries across the world, with a number of local variants in terms of spellings and meanings of some words.

If Americans choose to use their version which for example, doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'alternate' , and uses that word whether they actually mean 'alternate' or as a misnomer for 'alternative' , that's their choice, and they are also perfectly within their rights to call their version 'American English' if they choose to do so, but that doesn't give them licence (with a 'C') to call the mother tongue by the obnoxious term 'British English'

Australians and South Africans for example, have a rich variety of alternative vocabulary in their versions of our language, but they don't find it necessary to expect the rest of the world to call them ''Australian' or 'South African' English!

Pete N (in 'Grumpy old man with a hangover mode)

13th Jan 2018 13:30 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Our favourite word processing software distinguishes between a large variety of English variants, including Australian English, Canadian English, etc. Everyday use is rather inconsistent of course.

There is even an Austrian German (and, yes, there are quite distinct differences between German German and Austrian German).

13th Jan 2018 13:36 UTCErik Vercammen Expert

Dutch differs also between the Netherlands and Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. And I'm sure the German speaking part of Switzerland uses a different type of German than Germany or Austria ("Schwyzerdütsch" I think this is called.

13th Jan 2018 13:59 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Couldn't find any info about when and by whom the term "British English" was used in an "official" sense.

Worthwhile reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_in_England

13th Jan 2018 16:42 UTCOwen Lewis

To be or not to be a misnomer. A well -known and reliable guide is herkimer diamond. This is a misnomer simply because it ain't no diamond ;-)

13th Jan 2018 17:12 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Thanks, Owen. Maybe it's time Mindat implements a category "Misspelling".

13th Jan 2018 18:26 UTCMark Heintzelman 🌟 Expert

Sud Deutsch and Französisch Deutsch, and the wildly off Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) here in America . . .variants need to be identified somehow, like it or not. The actual original English is now often reffered to as "Old English" . . . OLD!! How DARE you!! ;)

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