The English Spelling Society, founded in 1908, once hoped to humanize English spelling with support from figures like G. B. Shaw and Walter W.
Skeat. But wars, political upheavals, and later computers and spellcheckers pushed reform to the sidelines. Now, as English becomes the world’s lingua franca, the Society sees renewed urgency.
Last week, it convened a congress in London, where some members even suggested dissolving the group, citing little progress since 1908. Yet the Society will press on, expanding its mission to include literacy broadly. The author argues for a minimalist approach, targeting redundant letters in words like acquire, sufficient, and community.
Words like conscientious, colonel, and fuchsia are left untouched for now, given their historical roots — fuchsia honors Renaissance botanist Leonard Fuchs. The call is for small, incremental steps to ease the transition without alienating anyone.
Quelle: Hacker News · Zusammengefasst von HeadlinesBriefing