On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 11:04:00 +0300, "Opinicus" <gezgin[ at ]spamcop.net>
wrote:
[Quoted Text] >"Igor" <no_spam[ at ]earthlink.net> wrote > >>I found what seems to be a mistake in the dictionary that MS supplied >> with Office 2000. "plebian" does not show up as a misspelling -- but >> it is, as best as I can tell. >> The word is correctly spelled "plebeian". I cannot find any authority >> on the Internet that says that "plebian" is even an "alternative". > >Merriam-Webster Unabridged calls it a "variant": >"plebeian." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. >Merriam-Webster, 2002. > > http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (1 Aug. 2006). > >If you dislike the spelling, you can put it in your exceptions dictionary. >-- >Bob > http://www.kanyak.com
Thanks. That is very interesting. At the M-W free website (e.g.),
here is what I got for "plebian":
The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a
spelling suggestion below or try again using the search box
to the right.
Suggestions for plebian:
1. plebeian
2. Polabian
3. pole bean
4. plebeians
5. Playbill
6. pliable
7. Pelion
8. Polabians
9. plebeianly
10. play by ear
As I mentioned, _I_ could not find "any" on-line reference for
"plebian". I suppose I should have limited that assertion to _free
websites_. I wonder if the Unabridged calls "Febuary" a variant of
"February"?
Of course, "theatre" is a common variant spelling of "theater". I am
not up on my dictionary nomenclature, but "plebian" seems to be rather
far afield to be a mere "variant". That being said, I just dug out my
5" thick Webster's Dictionary of the English Language and the listing
is tamely "plebeian, plebian", so I sit corrected.
BTW, I could not find a reference to the dictionary that MS Office
2000 uses. Under "About", it just says that the "spelling correction
system" is by Lernout & Hauspie.
Again, Bob, thanks. - Igor
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