Summary Details

Query:	Orient vs. Orientation
Author:	John Esposito
Submitter Email:	click here to access email
Linguistic LingField(s):	Sociolinguistics
Summary:	Regarding query http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/15/15-3227.html#2 Responses to this query were unanimous. Orientate is the only commonly-heard form of the word in British and most other dialects of English. Orient is regarded as an Americanism, although, ironically, there may still be a few British prescriptivists who prefer orient. Many thanks to those who responded: Susan Fischer, Rochester Institute of Technology Fay Wouk, University of Auckland Tonio Green, Berlin Roger Lass, University of Cape Town Neil Bermel, University of Sheffield Dan Wedgwood, University of Edinburgh Jeff Pledge, Wanadoo France Debbie Berkley, Microsoft Natural Language Group Ellen Grote, Edith Cowan University Jeannette Regan, University of Lausanne Finally, a word of thanks to Lesley Thompson Esposito (my wife), who has lived in England and has a degree in linguistics, and if I?d just asked her in the first place, I would have had the answer. Apologies for my provincialism! -- John

LL Issue:	15.3281
Date Posted:	22-Nov-2004
Original Query:	Read original query
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