We had a brief exchange about the spelling of this word, parishioner, on the anagram thread (W & F) today. All of us felt the spelling was incorrect and I speculated it was simply an anachronistic usage that has since changed. But, lo and behold! A search on OneLook indicates parishioner is correct! Fourteen hits for this spelling, including all the major dictionaries. NOT ONE HIT for parishoner sans the second "i". (and I once considered myself an impeccable speller...sigh)
Is there a word for words like this that seem misspelled when actually correct?
Can anyone come up with other words that look wrong even though they're right?
I guess parishioner has some precedent in concert with the word fashion..any other -ion's after an sh- words?
Did -shion evolve onto -tion, or vice versa?...and, if so, why and when?
>All of us felt the spelling was incorrect
I must have missed that thread - parishoner looks horrible to me. I've never seen the word spelled that way before, and wouldn't have imagined that anybody ever has, until I saw this post.
Parishoner looks wrong to me, too.
Juan: *rolling eyes*The comedy team of
ASping & TEdster are hereby put on official notice that when they get done egging my face, that someday, somewhere, somehow, I
will retaliate with gooey
omelettes!
...just to let you know.
Can anyone come up with other words that look wrong even though they're right?
How about:
"neighbour", "traveller", "catalogue", "millennium",
"centre". What do we call words that have this misleading appearance? Proper english?
More words that look wrong:
sacrilegious
minuscule
What do we call words that have this misleading appearance? Proper english?Thank you for so "cogently" pointing that out to me, wm. Excuse me, but I feel another case of
meidung coming on...
Is there a word for words like this that seem misspelled when actually correct?
If there isn't such a word, W'ON, perhaps we should create one.
May I propose meritricious in juxtaposition to "meretricious", something which is "tawdrily and falsely attractive"?
Thus, a meritricious word is one which is meritorious in spite of the fact that it appears falsely unattractive.
In mythology, it was commonplace for gods and goddesses (not to mention heroes like Ulysses) to disguise themselves as mendicants to test the metal of ambitious mortals.
A meritricious word performs the same function for linguistic purists [of which, I hasten to say, I am not one]. It flushes out the unworthy.
The choir with which I sang while in college took a short trip through East Texas, singing in various churches and staying with the parishioners. When I told my roommate that we had gone to, among other towns, Paris, TX, she said, completely seriously, "I didn't know that's what you call people in Paris."
Don't ask!
Seemed like a total non sequitur until it dawned on me your roommate was referring to "parishioners" and not commenting on your statement that you had gone to Paris, TX, -- people in Paris are Parishioners? Or do I have it all wrong?
>Paris, TX
Yes, I remember it being mentioned in the movie. Great movie.
Is there a word for words like this that seem misspelled when actually correct?
All I can think of is nossob: a word which appears to be another word spelt backwards, but isn't.
The Meaning of Liff - Douglas Adams & John Lloyd
>>What do we call words that have this misleading appearance?
Proper english?
Brilliant, wm.
Mustn't forget "colour", "humour", "belabour" and "polemicise".
There are loads of words that
look wrong. Just ask my 5-y-o son.
You've got it--she figured that people who live in New York are New Yorkers, people who live in Paris are Parishioners, etc.