syllable en or in, the former being derived from the French, and the latter from the Latin. With respect to some of these, it is difficult to determine which form is best supported by usage. This is the fact in relation to the words enclose or inclose, enquire or inquire, and ensure or insure. A few of these words, respecting which the two forms are about equally authorized, are placed in the left hand column in each mode, and stand in a corresponding manner in the Dictionary; but those which are not repeated under the two initial letters E and I, stand with the orthography which is most approved, placed in the left hand column. There are some words, of which the present established orthography is at variance with the most approved dictionaries. This is true with respect to the words chemistry, chemist, chemical, reindeer, and scythe. The orthography of these words which is here countenanced, though different from that best supported by the dictionaries, is the one which is now established by general usage. Notwithstanding the orthography of the word show is uniformly supported as here exhibited by the best dictionaries, and also best corresponds to its pronunciation; yet the other form, shew, maintains its ground by a usage quite as common with the best authors. The two different modes of spelling a few of the words in the Vocabulary, are in established usage, and one is to be preferred to the other according to the sense in which the word is used; as, for example, the orthography of flour instead of flower, though not recognised by Johnson, is now well established, when the word is used to denote the edible part of corn; also the orthography of dye instead of die, in the sense of color or to tinge with color, is in common and good use; yet the forms flower and die are unquestioned, when the words are used in other senses. With respect to the word mosquito or musquetoe, which appears in such a variety of forms, the spelling here preferred, though little supported by the dictionaries, is used in works of science. The form of mosquito is the orthography of the Spanish and Portuguese languages, from which the word is derived, and the one made use of with respect to various geographical places, to which the term is applied. |