triskellian | Names again

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I'm fascinated by names, as you probably know. So I was pleased to see that Slashdot has an article about names, which, amongst other things, links to this page, which lets you see how the popularity of your name has changed over time. Mine, unsurprisingly, is in the top ten for every set of data I looked at.

There are some odd and some surprising names in the most popular list for 2001, including, for example, Destiny, at 22nd most popular name for a girl, and Isaiah at number 45 for boys.

Tell me about the rise and fall of your name...

Current Mood: tired

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From:

onebyone.livejournal.com

Trouble is that when you say that a particular spelling is "just plain wrong", you have to deal with the problem that if it is used enough, it will become right. And that the reasons for what is right and wrong are very arbitrary. Rather like quoting scripture, you either choose to agree with the OED in all things, or else you have no authoritative reference.

"Chilli" is an interesting case in that we, the English, have "done a harbor" on it by arbitrarily changing the spelling mid-Atlantic. So although "chili" in theory is just plain wrong in the UK, that's clearly nonsense. We should rebel against the greybearded fools in their ivory towers who determine these things, and use it anyway. Having refuted their authority, we are then free to -ise or -ize as we please.

From:

triskellian

I have difficulties on this subject. By inclination, I'm very happy for language and words to move around however they feel like it, and I think evolution of spellings, meanings etc is a good and interesting thing.

However, I do quite a lot of proof-reading, so I need at least an idea of what is right and what is wrong...

I don't know about 'chili' (which, incidentally, I would correct to 'chilli') - did it originate over there, and got changed on its journey over here?

From:

onebyone.livejournal.com

did it originate over there, and got changed on its journey over here

That was my understanding, although now I come to think of it I can't remember why. Etymology is reported as via the Spanish "chile", so the second "l" was added by the British at some stage. Of course all this probably happened before the spelling was standardised (naughty me, using -ised) anyway.