Student Union
On Colours of Aluminium Armour, or Why I Refuse to AmericaniSe my Spelling
But there is one change which I refuse to make. It isn’t quite philosophical, nor technical, conditional, or circumstantial, although it is a little bit of all of the above. It is orthographical.
I am Armenian, but I grew up in New Delhi, India. I have spoken the English language pretty much my entire life, and I have written in the English language during most of that time too. In India, we use the British way of spelling things, and of expressing ourselves in general.
So, as I said before, I have “learnt” much in America, not “learned”, although I could say that I might someday consider myself “learned” (pronounced “learn-ud”).
Red, blue and orange are colours, with a “u”, and those who live around me are my friends and neighbours, again including “u” (and you!). Knights in shining armour brandish swords perhaps made of aluminium. (They wouldn’t dare wield swords made of something as flimsy as that, unless they were trying to foil their opponents, maybe... but you see what I’m talking about.)
That subject dealing with numbers and figures? It’s maths, not “math”. A similarly-minded friend of mine quipped that it’s short for mathematics. If it were a single mathematic, then we’d talk.
The last letter of the alphabet? It’s still called “zed”, as it has been for centuries.
For centuries elsewhere, of course. Not in America. I had a professor my first year here who constantly corrected my spelling on papers. Both he and I were equally pig-headed, and so we remain. The editor of this blog has a similar field day every time with my posts, I’m sure.
In the spirit of fairness, though, I must add the various Americanisms which have been absorbed by my vocabulary too, and which I aim to keep, even if I move to Buckingham Palace tomorrow. When something strikes my fancy, for example, it is “sweet”. When something excites me, I go, “Yes!”. I shall definitely “graduate” in May, and not “pass out”, as I would have in India. Although, the exhausting way we work here at St. John’s College, it may end up being a little of both.
Editor's Note: In appreciation of this post, I have also allowed Nareg to keep his British conventions of punctuation, even though here in America we punctuate "inside the quotation marks," not "outside". I'll return to my normal, stubborn self next time!
Useful and/or fun reads on the difference between American and British:
--> Potentially confusing and embarrassing differences
--> British to American slang translator
--> British Council: How to understand the differences video and exercise
--> Standard spelling differences
See all News Updates of the Day
Ohio Public Colleges Told to End Race-based Scholarships
Ohio’s attorney general has ordered public colleges and universities to end merit scholarships that incorporate race-based criteria, saying they are unconstitutional.
The attorney general advised education officials that compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-based admissions extends to scholarships, according to the Columbus Dispatch. (March 2024)
Greek Parliament Approves Branches of Foreign Universities
The Greek parliament voted to allow foreign universities to establish and operate branch campuses in the country.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the move was made to encourage Greek students to stay in the country for advanced studies, instead of going abroad for an education. (March 2024)
Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions
The state of Virginia has banned legacy admissions to public colleges and universities.
The New York Times reports the state has outlawed the practice of giving preferential admissions status to students based on connections to alumni and donors. (March 2024)
New Texas Law Prohibits Public Colleges, Universities From Having DEI Offices
A new Texas law prohibits public universities from having special programs supporting minority and LGBTQ students. Critics say these diversity, equity and inclusion programs are discriminatory and divisive. But many students say they are needed. Deana Mitchell has the story from the Texas capital.
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