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“Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

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Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#11

Post by snogglethorpe »

maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

"Tokyo" replaced "Tokio" in about 1930: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=tokyo.tokio ["Tokyo" is somewhat closer to the Japanese pronunciation]

"Muslim" replaced "moslem" in about 1988: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=moslem.muslim [Apparently for good reason: http://hnn.us/article/524 ]

"Peking" was replaced by "Peiping" in 1930, but it was back to "Peking" in 1962, and then finally changed to "Beijing" in 1985: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=peking.beijing.peiping

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#12

Post by spingsprong »

maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

Rumania vs Romania http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=rumania.romania

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#13

Post by taejo »

spingsprong wrote: post #12
maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

Rumania vs Romania http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=rumania.romania

Possibly even Roumania vs Rumania vs Romania: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=rumania.romania.rouman...

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#14

Post by SixSigma »

maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=istanbul.constantinopl...

This was by edict

"The international name Constantinople also remained in use until the Turkish Postal Service Law of March 28, 1930, according to which all foreign countries were asked to solely use the name Istanbul also in their languages and their postal service networks."

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#16

Post by rdwallis »

maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

More interesting for programmers:

http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=program.programme

And programme seems to be having a very slight resurgence since 2012.

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#17

Post by NAFV_P »

snogglethorpe wrote: post #11
maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

"Tokyo" replaced "Tokio" in about 1930: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=tokyo.tokio ["Tokyo" is somewhat closer to the Japanese pronunciation] "Muslim" replaced "moslem" in about 1988: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=moslem.muslim [Apparently for good reason: http://hnn.us/article/524 ] "Peking" was replaced by "Peiping" in 1930, but it was back to "Peking" in 1962, and then finally changed to "Beijing" i…

Tokyo used to be called 'Edo'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#18

Post by briandear »

wyager wrote: post #5

These swaps are clearly "non-organic" (i.e. didn't emerge from gradual changes in colloquial language). Are they the result of a change in editing staff? Spelling correction software?

In 1961 there was no spelling correction software.

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#19

Post by marjwyatt »

I was just puzzling about this the other day. I live in the USA and I've always spelled the word as theatre. Only recently, I've noticed that spellcheck is balking at this.

It's somewhat comforting to know that my way of spelling the word isn't wrong and I don't really mind that my country wants to spell it differently.

Re: “Theater” vs. “Theatre”: The Great New York Times Language Swap

#20

Post by jsmeaton »

maxmcd wrote: post #2

I think I found another one, and it looks like it swapped twice: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Aesthetic.esthetic Edit: Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Archaeology.archeology A very early switch: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=Toward.towards Another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=catalogue.catalog And another: http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=centre.center A weaker one: http…

This is one I've been wondering about for awhile:

http://chronicle.nytlabs.com/?keyword=cooperation.co-operati...

I thought the change happened somewhere around the 80-90's. Guess it depends on the country also.

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