Var.
We had a big dictionary when I was a child. It was a magnificent book full of words I hadn't learned yet, with a glossy section in the centre that displayed various bits of interesting categorical information - planets, birthstones, zodiac signs. This hefty tome was just one of a small reference library we kept. My parents loved books as much as I do. The ones I remember best were the mythology, the series on plant, animal and mineral identification, and a heavily illustrated book of World War I airplanes (Snoopy's Sopwith Camel and the Red Baron's Fokker were in there.) And of course, the set of encyclopedias was a particular treasure. Everything you wanted to know about was in there, at least to some degree, and we used them often. Whenever we asked Mom a question she couldn't answer, she'd take us to the encyclopedia and look it up with us. It was like Mom's spare brain. I suppose that habit empowered us to become better learners. There will be plenty you don't know in your lifetime, but that doesn't have to stop you if you know how to look for answers.
We didn't watch a lot of TV in that early house by the woods. We had a TV, or actually two- a television set- one that received the sound but the picture tube was broken, while the other had an audio problem but was able to display a fuzzy black and white picture for a few channels. When we used them together, we got the whole program, but it was almost more trouble than it was worth. So, we spent a lot of time outdoors running around. When we couldn't do that, there was a lot of time indoors running around (and jumping on the furniture.) But there were many quiet moments, too, when paging through the encyclopedias to see what you might find was a source of entertainment. Similarly, I spent significant time with that wonderful dictionary.
One of the things you learn from reading the dictionary is that some words have alternate spellings or pronunciations. (var.) It's an odd message to come away with since the dictionary is such a force of official authority. "These are the WORDS," it says with its booming voice, "and you shall use them only in this manner or suffer the frowns of English teachers." Yet, I came away with an impression of the flexibility of the language, informed by all those var.s and alt.s and arch.s and dial.s.
As I was made aware of options, I had the freedom to choose the alternatives that appealed to me. Sometimes, one spelling seemed more appropriate than another, reading more closely to the pronunciation in my head. Sometimes, I just liked the look of it. I settled into a patchwork of spelling styles based on those choices, further influenced by contact with pen pals overseas and books from other countries or other eras. My preference could shift on a whim or I might use different versions of a word depending on circumstances.
Of course, I learned quickly that not everyone appreciates the flexibility. I was eliminated from one classroom spelling bee for the word S-U-L-P-H-U-R. (That'll teach me to read old books.) Even at that young age, I was wise enough not to embarrrass the teacher by pointing out that both sulfur and sulphur are accepted spellings. People have asked if I was raised in Canada, and word processing programs are always calling out my "errors". So, once in a while, I suppress my instincts and consciously choose word forms for my audience's comfort even when they're not my usual choice. Generally, I try to stick to a consistent set of spellings within a formal document, but if you were to read one of my personal notebooks, you'd see my true love for variety shining through.
That's the real story here. There are more ways than just one to spell, to speak, to do all the wonderful things we humans do. There's no need to be narrow in your approach to any of it. Choose what suits you and what suits the moment because variety is a beautiful thing.
We didn't watch a lot of TV in that early house by the woods. We had a TV, or actually two- a television set- one that received the sound but the picture tube was broken, while the other had an audio problem but was able to display a fuzzy black and white picture for a few channels. When we used them together, we got the whole program, but it was almost more trouble than it was worth. So, we spent a lot of time outdoors running around. When we couldn't do that, there was a lot of time indoors running around (and jumping on the furniture.) But there were many quiet moments, too, when paging through the encyclopedias to see what you might find was a source of entertainment. Similarly, I spent significant time with that wonderful dictionary.
One of the things you learn from reading the dictionary is that some words have alternate spellings or pronunciations. (var.) It's an odd message to come away with since the dictionary is such a force of official authority. "These are the WORDS," it says with its booming voice, "and you shall use them only in this manner or suffer the frowns of English teachers." Yet, I came away with an impression of the flexibility of the language, informed by all those var.s and alt.s and arch.s and dial.s.
As I was made aware of options, I had the freedom to choose the alternatives that appealed to me. Sometimes, one spelling seemed more appropriate than another, reading more closely to the pronunciation in my head. Sometimes, I just liked the look of it. I settled into a patchwork of spelling styles based on those choices, further influenced by contact with pen pals overseas and books from other countries or other eras. My preference could shift on a whim or I might use different versions of a word depending on circumstances.
Of course, I learned quickly that not everyone appreciates the flexibility. I was eliminated from one classroom spelling bee for the word S-U-L-P-H-U-R. (That'll teach me to read old books.) Even at that young age, I was wise enough not to embarrrass the teacher by pointing out that both sulfur and sulphur are accepted spellings. People have asked if I was raised in Canada, and word processing programs are always calling out my "errors". So, once in a while, I suppress my instincts and consciously choose word forms for my audience's comfort even when they're not my usual choice. Generally, I try to stick to a consistent set of spellings within a formal document, but if you were to read one of my personal notebooks, you'd see my true love for variety shining through.
That's the real story here. There are more ways than just one to spell, to speak, to do all the wonderful things we humans do. There's no need to be narrow in your approach to any of it. Choose what suits you and what suits the moment because variety is a beautiful thing.
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