Comments on: optimiSe or optimiZe ?

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:38:07 +0000

Actually, I take my previous comment back. The last letter of the Greek alphabet is not the letter s.

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By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:29:27 +0000

I'm surprise no one is looking at the Greek root of this. The last letter of the Greek alphabet is the letter s. So, the usage of the letter s instead of the letter z is of Greek origin.

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By: Catherine Canadian

Catherine Canadian — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:01:40 +0000

"However, we are sometimes forced by some American client companies to use ... American spellings, even though their products are for the European market ..." That's rather arrogant of them isn't it. I wonder how they would like it if France labelled all their products destined for the USA in French only. It shows a complete lack of respect.

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By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:59:58 +0000

How would you say it out loud? If a 'z' sound comes out of my face then I spell it IZE. (which seems to always be the case). ISE sounds wrong and so, in my book, is wrong. But I always say: If people didn't make up words we wouldn't have any.

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By: Warren

Warren — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:23:44 +0000

Belize realise that it's optimise. They don't intellectualize it or dramatize it, they just socialize it. English language, that compendium of 3 or 4 continental European languages, is constantly evolving & wonderfully adaptive. That boringly inevitable Englishman (or woman) who bobs up uninvited from across the bar or the bus or the table to "correct" Americans, Canadians or Australians, is not the "keeper" of the English language, nor has he (she) ever been. It is simply a case of looking it up in the Macquarie dictionary which says both “ize” and “ise” are perfectly ok. Nobody outside England (& few inside England) care two hoots what the self-appointed "keepers of the old English language" think ... it's an evolving language and the time to update the Oxford "Dick&Mary" is well past due!

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By: Pez

Pez — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:40:35 +0000

I always write -ise, with me being English. Apparently -ize is acceptable here, yet I have actually never seen a case when it has been accepted when seen. -ize for Americans, -ise for everyone else is the norm...

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By: robbo

robbo — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:42:55 +0000

A very interesting discussion and what's been said is mostly true. In Britain we do use both ise and ize, and yes ize appears before ise in the OED. I'm also aware that the US spelling uses ize and it's the older form of English, however, I don't know when ise came into use, all I do know is that's how I was taught at school. The reason for both spellings, as I understand it, is the suffix being derived via French -iser from latin -izare and Greek -izein. I have to say I prefer ise and in my job as proof reader we have that as our house-style. However, we are sometimes forced by some American client companies to use not only ize but all the other American spellings too, even though their products are for the European market which I find extremely irritating - are they trying to sell a product or America? Was it Churchill who said: "We are are two countries separated by one language" or words to that effect? But to quote the French Vive la diffence!

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By: porsche

porsche — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:44:11 +0000

I think a little history lesson might be in order here. Jimmy is on the right track. The -ize ending was universal in ALL English until very recently, only about a hundred years ago. -ize isn't some rampant Americanism. It is the British (and Commonwealth) who diverged from the norm, influenced by the French spellings. That's why there is still resistance to -ise in the UK especially in academic circles.

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By: porsche

porsche — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:44:10 +0000

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By: aubrey shepherd

aubrey shepherd — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:30:55 +0000

Porsche, The suffix ize or even ise or whatever is a weak sister of correct, clear usage. Some such uses are accepted, but others are considered somewhere between tacky and illiterate. Finalize was condemned by the Arkansas Gazette (now bought up by the Arkansas Gazette and absorbed out of existence). Old-fashioned writers and editors would write "put into final form" or "complete" or some other longer but more accurate word.

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