Korean Job Discussion Forums

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

ok, this might seem like an odd question but...

Has forty ever been spelled fourty?

I know the first one is correct but is the latter ever? If color can be spelled colour sometimes... can forty has a variant?

anyone with any info, its appretiated.

(trying to settle a bet)

peppergirl · Joined: 07 Dec 2003

Main Entry: for�ty
Pronunciation: 'for-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural forties
Etymology: Middle English fourty, adjective, from Old English fEowertig, from fEowertig group of 40, from fEower four + -tig group of 10; akin to Old English tIen ten

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

So yes, it seems that it has been spelled as 'fourty' before, but a loooong time ago!

Yesterday · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:08 pm Post subject: The King's English

Fourty was the original King's English - I remember in Elementary school back in the early 80's we could use it (in Australia)- but then it changed to forty - maybe some countries still do use it.

Same as Favourite - now I am using the American "Favorite"
and colour - once again - now using the American "color"

It really depends if you want to teach your students the "Kings English - (English English) - or American English - and this being Korean and all - you are safer to go with American English - otherwise your kids might think you cannot spell properly.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I don't care how they spell it if they can learn to differentiate between "forty" and "fourteen" or "twenty" and "twelve"

camel96 · Guest

jaebea · Joined: 21 Sep 2003 Location: SYD

Heh, we used to cop an earful from our teachers if we ever spelt "forty" with an extra "u".

It's like those people who pronounce the letter "h" with "haitch". That drives me absolutely barmy. And it's just not cricket.

:)

jae.

igotthisguitar · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:03 am Post subject:

>. Interesting topic. As an ex-pat Canuck, this is something i often use to help teach all my students the difference between the English english & ME-gook anglais.

Re: that notorious H ( i.e. Ayyyyy-cheeeee ) thing, you can hardly imagine the fun i have on the board with it, getting VERY creative dictating what i hear them saying on the board. Esssss-hhhh & Effff-uupppp are two other classics Laughing