# Do you prefer ‘fall’ or ‘autumn?’ **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140 "2021-09-22T22:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/21 "2021-09-23T08:14:53Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > My understanding is that “fall” is fairly uncommon in British English, so our British dopers will probably be choosing “autumn” I’m going to be the contrary Brit - I prefer “fall” and wish we used it. (We don’t, so I use autumn - I’m not that contrary). Reasons are - 1) it’s needlessly latinate - if our other seasons were Vern, Estus and Hiver that would be fine but they’re not so why borrow from Latin for this one? 2) It foregrounds the relationship between time of year and the natural environment. 3) Relatedly, it pairs nicely with spring, giving some symmetry. 4) Spring forward, autumn back is a terrible mnemonic. In sum, “autumn” feels contrived and detached from reality, an imposition from the Latin-schooled elite while “fall” feels like the natural language of people talking about what they see around them. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/22 "2021-09-23T08:33:13Z")
For me, it varies with the level of formality. Fall is more informal to my ear than autumn. I also will vary them based on sound. Autumn has a more “poetic” sound to it, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/23 "2021-09-23T08:48:28Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > In sum, “autumn” feels contrived and detached from reality, an imposition from the Latin-schooled elite while “fall” feels like the natural language of people talking about what they see around them. I have the feeling that this is not completely correct and that autum is not derived directly from Latin, but that it is more akin to the French - Norman dichotomy shown in mutton/lamb, pork/pig, beef/cow, poultry/chicken and so on/etc. So the USA prefers fall? It figures. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/24 "2021-09-23T08:51:17Z")
Quite possibly - I’ve seen reference to Chaucer importing it. Either way, it jars in relation to the other seasons and just feels a bit contrived. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/25 "2021-09-23T10:12:37Z")
Wow, you’ve thought about this a LOT ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/26 "2021-09-23T10:16:48Z")
It’s weird, I think ‘autumn’ sounds nicer, but I never actually use it and find it odd when people do. I guess instinctively I feel it’s more of a literary word than a spoken word. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/27 "2021-09-23T10:18:46Z")
😆 Thanks for saying “a lot” instead of “too much”! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/28 "2021-09-23T10:36:29Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > As a follow-on opinion question, what should be the name for today’s equinox, as opposed to the other equinox. Vernal and autumnal are borealist. I prefer northward and southward equinoxes, myself. And we say autumn in South Africa (when we don’t say _herfs_, _ekwindla_, etc) , fall is a very clear Americanism. Plus “autumn” makes me think of [Verlaine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanson_d%27automne)…“fall” just makes me think of raking leaves, yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/29 "2021-09-23T11:15:42Z")
Well, when it comes to modern English, a huge portion of our routine vocabulary is needlessly Latinate. Unless you’re an expert, you would probably have to do a modicum of research to expunge all the Latinate influences in this message and recast it with words of purely Germanic origin. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/30 "2021-09-23T11:41:20Z")
Fall. It just falls of the tongue easier. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/31 "2021-09-23T11:55:29Z")
Either will do. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/32 "2021-09-23T12:00:35Z")
Over 60% of the english language has latin or greek roots. Let’s just leave it as it is, shall we? ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/33 "2021-09-23T12:34:45Z")
I mean, I’m not on a mission here. It would be mad to try to expunge latinate and/or greek words from English. But I like “fall”. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/34 "2021-09-23T15:28:24Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Unless you’re an expert, you would probably have to do a modicum of research to expunge all the Latinate influences in this message and recast it with words of purely Germanic origin. You’ll be part of a [vibrant community of weirdos](https://anglish.fandom.com/wiki/The_Anglish_Moot:About) if you did want to do that. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/35 "2021-09-23T15:40:07Z")
There is always this: l(a le af fa ll s) one l iness ee cummings ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/36 "2021-09-23T15:47:38Z")
I love the word autumnal, so I chose autumn. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/37 "2021-09-23T16:08:58Z")
I voted “Autumn” but would probably say “Fall” in spoken conversation because I don’t have the slightest idea on how to pronounce “Autumn”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/38 "2021-09-23T16:13:12Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > I don’t have the slightest idea on how to pronounce “Autumn”. My gf has a friend named Autumn. When referring to her, i call her “Otto”. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/39 "2021-09-23T16:17:38Z")
I guess is like “Otto” but with a final “M” sound? so “Ottom”? man I love English but the spelling and pronunciation parts drive me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140/40 "2021-09-23T16:30:21Z")
It’s context dependent. I can’t actually tell you what the necessary context for each is, but I know it when I see it. Basically, one or the other will seem more “correct” to me, depending on the scenario. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-prefer-fall-or-autumn/951140.md?page=3)