When quoting people who use alternate spellings from ours, does one use the alternate spelling in the quote?
Yes.
Maybe.
Depends.
If you’re quoting spoken word, then you use local spelling. If you’re quoting something written, then general practice is to preserve the original spelling.
Um. Friedo, is there a difference in pronunciation for words (with the exception of accents) or would ye by thinking of Olde Englishe type pronunciation?
Dumb, dumb, dumb. I will learn to read one day. Sorry. Carry on.
Here’s a couple of other threads about this:
Yes, if you are quoting verbatim, then you should preserve spellinges etc, otherwise maybe not:
You said:
They are not.
You said these two items would be the same colour; they are not
I think there may be a hidden assumption here.
Us Brits had the language first, so American English is the ‘alternate’ spelling! :eek:
Yeah guys, what’s with your spelling anyway:) ?
A common misconception. Both the current “standard” American and British Englishes developed from a common ancestor. The spelling and vocabulary used by this ancestor is noticeably different from that used of either of its descendants.
I assume you’re joking; modern British English won’t be the same as it was when American English branched off; both languages are descendants of a common ancestor, that is all.
Thanks for the replies (the links were especially helpful). I didn’t really qualify which type of quote I meant, but I was asking about when someone speaks and then is quoted…I assumed that written quotes would remain as written…
Written quotes of spoken words… hmmm, that is a bit more of a grey(gray;) ) area - If (say) I hear an American admire the tint of my wife’s hair, then (for some reason) I need to write a note to her about it, I will use ‘colour’ - my local spelling, even if I am directly quoting - “He said ‘I like the colour of your wife’s hair’” - it would seem absurd for me to use the Americal spelling of the word as I never saw it written down and it sounds the same.
What I won’t do though, is translate whole word; if he had said that he nearly fell flat on his face on the sidewalk, I would probably not change it to pavement, unless perhaps I suspected that the person reading the quote was not familiar with the American word/usage.
Typo; shoudl read American, of course.
If you are quoting in a formal setting, use the formation given in whatever style quide is specified. There are style guides for academics, for news writers, given out by publishers and many others.