Par le Bureau de la traduction
Le Navigateur linguistique permet de faire une recherche par mots clés ou par thème pour trouver rapidement réponse à des questions sur la langue ou la rédaction en français et en anglais. Pour en apprendre davantage sur cet outil de recherche, consultez la section À propos du Navigateur linguistique.
Première visite? Découvrez comment faire une recherche dans le Navigateur linguistique.
Rechercher par mots clés
Champs de recherche
Rechercher par thème
Faites une recherche par thème pour accéder rapidement à toutes les ressources linguistiques du Portail associées à un thème en particulier.
À propos du Navigateur linguistique
Le Navigateur linguistique cherche simultanément dans tous les outils d’aide à la rédaction, jeux et billets de blogue du Portail linguistique du Canada. Il vous donne accès à tout ce dont vous avez besoin pour bien écrire en français et en anglais : articles sur des difficultés de langue, recommandations linguistiques, tableaux de conjugaison, suggestions de traductions et bien plus.
Pour trouver la traduction d’un terme ou la réponse à vos questions d’ordre terminologique dans un domaine spécialisé, consultez TERMIUM Plus®.
Résultats 1 à 6 de 6 (page 1 de 1)
Why Canadian spelling is different
A blog post about how Canadian spelling came to be Canadian.Canadian spelling isn’t quite the same as anyone else’s. It’s no secret that we Canadians spell differently from our cousins in the United States: We put a “u” in words like “colour” and “favour”; Americans leave it out We spell “theatre” and “centre” with an “re” at the end; they spell them with an “er” We write cheques for things we order from catalogues, while they order from catalogs and write checks So how did these differences come about? The roots of the issue After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, French became the language of government. And when French scribes heard English words, they wrote them according to French spelling rules. Meanwhile, the low status of English meant that there was no written standard, so even English writers used their own spellings. By the late Middle Ages, English spelling varied greatly. To add to the confusion, an important change called the Great Vowel Shift took place in spoken English between the 14th and 18th centuries. Over this period, the way words sounded gradually became quite different from the way they were written. As a result, English spelling became less and less logical. During the 15th and 16th centuries, a number of scholars tried to standardize English spelling or even reform it, but with little success. England’s Samuel Johnson In 1755, Samuel Johnson published his 40,000-word Dictionary of the English Language. Johnson didn’t try to reform spelling to make it more logical. Instead, he simply chose the most common spellings in use at the time. It is interesting to note that most words in his dictionary are spelled the same way they are today. The biggest difference is that words written today with an “ic” all end in “ick”: “comick,” “magick,” “musick,” “romantick.” Johnson’s dictionary was very popular and became the main reference for spelling in England for more than 150 years. But although English spelling had become standardized, it hadn’t gotten any more logical. America’s Noah Webster Several decades after Johnson’s dictionary appeared, Noah Webster (of Webster’s Dictionary fame) set out to reform American spelling by making it simpler. For instance, he dropped the “u” from words like “colour” and the “k” from words like “musick.” He also adopted the “er” ending for words like “center” and the “ize” ending for verbs like “organize.” Webster’s 1828 dictionary and 1829 speller became the primary spelling references for generations of Americans. Canada’s Sir John A. As time went on, American spelling practices began to creep over the border. In 1890, Sir John A. Macdonald was asked what spellings should be used in Canada. Our first prime minister felt strongly that all parts of the British Empire should hold to the system used in England. And he ordered that “the English practice be uniformly followed” in all government documents. Thus, British spelling was upheld as the standard in Canada. Canadian spelling today Language changes; and in spite of Sir John A., our neighbours to the south have made some inroads into Canadian spelling. For example, we’ve adopted the American ending “ize” instead of “ise” in verbs like “organize,” “civilize” and “specialize.” And like the Americans, we spell “encyclopedia” (and most other words like it) with an “e” instead of an “ae.” So if our spelling is partly American and partly British, how can we be sure we’re choosing the right forms for a Canadian audience? The best bet is to check a reliable Canadian dictionary (such as the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, the Gage Canadian Dictionary or the Collins Canadian Dictionary) for the spellings accepted in Canada. When more than one spelling is listed, it is the first one that most Canadians prefer. What do you think about Canadian spelling? Would you do anything to change or improve it? Tell us your opinion in a comment.Source : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 178 200
Canadian, British and American: It’s all English, but the spelling is different
An English blog post about the variant spellings used in Canada, Britain and America.I’m a proud Canadian. I grew up in the Niagara (Falls) Region, so I watched and listened to Toronto and Buffalo television and radio stations. I was still in elementary school when I became aware of the differences between Canadian and American English. “Canadian English is a variety of English in its own right,” Oxford’s Guide to Canadian English Usage (1997) reads. “In the past, however, Canadians seeking information or advice on their language had to look to either British or American dictionaries and usage guides, neither of which reflected the distinctiveness of Canadian English.” “Because Canada has its own political, cultural, historical, and geographical realities, it has its own words to describe those realities…. dictionaries inevitably describe and reflect the language and culture of the country in which they are edited,” reads the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. “Canadians need a dictionary that defines the words used by Canadians and also records how Canadians (not the Americans or the British) pronounce and spell words.” Most Canadian style guides, including The Canadian Press Stylebook: A Guide for Writers and Editors and The Canadian Press Caps and Spellings, are based on the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. The standard American dictionary is the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. The Concise Oxford Dictionary is the usual option for British writers and editors. Sheila Ethier shared a great blog post called “Why Canadian spelling is different.” In it, she looked at the people at the root of those differences, including England’s Samuel Johnson, America’s Noah Webster and Canada’s Sir John A. Macdonald. In this post, I wanted to share some of the ways in which our Canadian hybrid spelling patterns are different from those of our British and American cousins, so readers like you know what to be on the lookout for. How they differ The 10 categories of spelling variations listed in Editing Canadian English: A Guide for Editors, Writers, and Everyone Who Works with Words are based on Robert Ireland’s Canadian Spelling: An Empirical and Historical Survey of Selected Works (1979 York University PhD dissertation). “The spellings of colour and centre, in particular, have in recent years come to be greatly (even passionately) preferred over the corresponding American variants; indeed, some Canadians view them as cultural touchstones, important for their symbolic role in distinguishing Canadian from American discourse,” Editing Canadian English reads. “A 2010 study (Kevin Heffernan et al.) found that colour and centre ‘seem to do more than their share of the ideological work’ in this regard. While there are several hundred words with standard British and American versions, ‘reference in the media to spelling variation and Canadian identity seldom go beyond discussing these two examples.’” I started creating the table below by referring to Writing Tips Plus, The Canadian Press Stylebook and The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling before referring to Editing Canadian English, which has the most information. The table highlights the nine areas where Canadian, British and American spellings are most likely to vary. Variant spellings by category Word family CanadianOxford spelling Concise Oxford(British) spelling Merriam-Webster(American) spelling Words with -our or -or labour honour humour laborious honorary humorous labour honour humour laborious honorary humorous labor honor humor laborious honorary humorous Words with -re or -er centre fibre sombre meter (device) metre (metric unit) centre fibre sombre meter (device) metre (SI unit) center fiber somber meter (all uses) Words with -yze, -yse, -ize or -ise and their derived forms analyze paralyze organize analysis paralysis organization analyse paralyse organise analysis paralysis organisation analyze paralyze organize analysis paralysis organization Words with -ce or -se defence offence licence (noun) license (verb) practice (noun) practise (verb) defence offence licence (noun) license (verb) practice (noun) practise (verb) defense offense license (nounand verb) practice (nounand verb) Words with double or single “l” and their derivatives instill table 1 note * enrol fulfillmenttable 1 note * instalment instil enrol fulfilment instalment instill enroll fulfillment installment Words with double or single consonants in the past tense travelled labelled marshalled benefited budgeted targeted travelled labelled marshalled benefited budgeted targeted traveled labeled marshaled benefited budgeted targeted Words with single vowels or diphthongs (e.g., “ae” and “oe”) encyclopedia hemorrhage pediatric aesthetictable 1 note * hors d’oeuvre manoeuvre encyclopaedia haemorrhage paediatric aesthetic hors d’oeuvre manoeuvre encyclopedia hemorrhage pediatric aesthetic hors d’oeuvre maneuver Words in which the silent “e” is deleted or kept before a suffix aging judgment lovable sizable likeabletable 1 note * saleabletable 1 note * acknowledgementtable 1 note * ageing judgement lovable sizeable likeable saleable acknowledgement aging judgment lovable sizeable likable salable acknowledgment Loan words with traditional or anglicized plural forms tableauxtable 1 note * châteaux formulaetable 1 note *(math and chemistry) referendums appendicestable 1 note * indexes (back of book) indicestable 1 note *(technical) formulas (not math and chemistry) tableaux chateaux formulae (math and chemistry) referendums appendices indexes (back of book) indices (technical) formulas (not math and chemistry) tableaux châteaus formulas (all uses) referenda appendixes indexes (all uses) Table 1 note(s) Table 1 note * Canadian Press differs from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Return to table 1 note * referrerSource : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 26 341
How word origins can help you keep “-onym” words straight
A blog post about how word origins can help people remember the meanings of words ending in –onym, such as homonym.I’m a word lover! Or, as I like to call myself, a wordie. You know, like a foodie, but with a passion for words. And as a wordie, I like to think that I know quite a bit about words. But I will admit that there is one type of word that still gives me trouble. It’s the kind ending in “-onym,” like “homonym.” But I’ve found that learning the origins of certain “-onym” words has helped me remember their meaning. And I thought if a wordie like me still has trouble with “ onym” words, then surely some of you do, too. So here’s a quick explanation to help us keep them straight. Let’s start with the basics. Synonyms and antonyms A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as (or a similar meaning to) another word. For example, “buddy,” “pal” and “mate” are all synonyms for “friend.” An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning to another word. For example, “enemy” and “foe” are antonyms for “friend.” Easy enough, right? Just remember that “syn-” is Greek for “together,” while “anti-” is Greek for “opposite.” Now let’s look at some of the more complicated “-onym” words. Homonyms (This is where I usually get confused.) Homonyms are words that have the same pronunciation or spelling but different meanings. There are 2 types: Homophones (homonyms with the same pronunciation but different spellings, like “there,” “their” and “they’re,” and “or” and “oar”) Homographs (homonyms with the same spelling) But things get even more complicated, because homographs can be divided into two groups, according to pronunciation. Many pairs of homographs are pronounced the same, like “bank” (as in a financial institution) and “bank” (as in the edge of a river). But some pairs of homographs are pronounced differently, like “produce” (as in “These factories produce shoes”) and “produce” (as in “This grocer sells fresh produce”). These types of homographs are sometimes called “heteronyms.” See why I get confused? It helps to remember that “homo-” comes from the Greek word “homos,” meaning “the same,” and “-phone” is Greek for “sound.” So homo-plus-phone means “same sound.” The root “-graph,” on the other hand, means “something written.” So homo-plus-graph means “same writing.” And “hetero-” is Greek for “different,” so a heteronym is a homograph with a different pronunciation. I hope that helps! For more information on homonyms, along with examples, check out the Language Portal’s Writing Tip called homographs, homonyms, homophones. What other words ending in “-onym” give you trouble? Let us know in the comments section. And if you have any tips or tricks for remembering what they mean, share those, too!Source : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 4 454
Why we spell the way we do: Part 1
An English blog post about the main languages that influenced English spelling.In elementary school, I enjoyed spelling quizzes. But I don’t think that I could have ever become a spelling bee champion. The spellings of words such as “ealdorman,” “marocain” or “koinonia” aren’t obvious to me. Mastering the art of spelling, even for native speakers, is certainly not an easy task. Finding patterns in English is difficult because the language has a long history of borrowing or deriving vocabulary from other languages. English is a blend of spelling systems that entered the language at different times. Let’s take a look at the main languages that influenced English spelling. Old English In doing research for this post, I discovered that Old English is called Old English for a reason. The origins of the language date as far back as the 5th century! Around that time, three main Germanic tribes invaded England. They spoke Anglo-Saxon, otherwise known as Old English. I was fascinated to learn that some 4,500 words of Anglo-Saxon origin are still used in English today.Footnote 1 After falling down a rabbit hole of searching for words with Anglo-Saxon origins in the Online Etymology Dictionary (opens in new tab), I discovered that we use these words every day. Did you know that “friend” used to be spelled “freond,” that “food” was “foda” or that “laughter” was “hleahtor”? Verbs used for our daily activities, such as “eat” (from “etan”) and “sleep” (from “slaepan”), also have Anglo-Saxon roots. In Old English, most words had various spellings, and their spellings evolved as they took on their modern form. But a few words, including “he,” “of,” “him,” “for” and “on,” have stood the test of time and are spelled exactly the same way today as they were back then.Footnote 2 French When taking dictées in my French immersion classes, I always wondered why so many words were spelled either identically or at least similarly to their English equivalents. How did they enter the English language, I wondered, and why were there so many? After William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, Norman French was used by the court, the government and the upper class.Footnote 3 As a result, many French words made their way into English.Footnote 4 This had a major impact on English spelling. For example, words like “table,” “double” and “centre” take their spelling directly from French.Footnote 5 Individual letters were also affected. “C” was used in Old English, but in many cases it was replaced by “k,” “ck” or “ch” after the Norman Conquest. “Cw” eventually became “qu,” so our current spelling of “quick” used to be “cwic.”Footnote 6 And French is just one of many languages that has affected English spelling. Latin and Greek I didn’t study Latin in high school, but it definitely would have come in handy in my science classes. Why? Because academics and scientists adopted a huge number of Latin words during the English Renaissance. The spelling of these English words was derived from Latin. For example, you might think that the double “m” in “summary” is unnecessary, and you might be right! The spelling of this word comes from the Latin summarium. Greek words also entered English during this time, often via Latin. For example, the Greek arkhitekton traded “k” for “c” in the Latin word architectus, then became architecte in French before entering English as the word “architect.”Footnote 7 You can see Greek influence in other English spelling patterns, too. Whenever a word has a “ph” in it (like “philosophy”), there’s likely some Greek in its history!Footnote 8 Now that I’ve learned all about the history of the English language, I’m not surprised that I’ve never won a national spelling bee! Do you think that studying French, Latin, Greek or another language would improve your spelling? If you speak another language, have you noticed its influence on English spelling? Let me know in the comments! Sources Note 1 Mastin, L. (Editor). (2011). Old English (c. 500 - c. 1100). (opens in new tab) The History of English. Return to footnote 1 referrer Note 2 Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). What are the origins of the English Language? (opens in new tab) Return to footnote 2 referrer Note 3 Costa, N. (2020, July 8). The Influence of French on the English Language! (opens in new tab) Cactus Language. Return to footnote 3 referrer Note 4 Duncan, E. (n.d.). Borrowing in Middle English. (opens in new tab) Return to footnote 4 referrer Note 5 The English Spelling Society. (n.d.). A brief history of English spelling. (opens in new tab) Return to footnote 5 referrer Note 6 Mastin, L. (Editor). (2011). Middle English (c. 1100 - c. 1500). (opens in new tab) The History of English. Return to footnote 6 referrer Note 7 I relied on the Online Etymology Dictionary (opens in new tab) and the Oxford English Dictionary for the history of the words in this section. Return to footnote 7 referrer Note 8 Peraki, M. and Vougiouklaki, C. (2015). How has Greek influenced the English language? (opens in new tab) British Council. Return to footnote 8 referrerSource : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 3 315
Why we spell the way we do: Part 2
An English blog post about how the Great Vowel Shift, the printing press and dictionary writers shaped English spelling.When taking spelling quizzes as a child, I wondered why words that are spelled nearly identically are pronounced differently. For example, “treat” and “great” end in the same four letters, but the vowels aren’t pronounced in the same way. I also wondered why some words have silent letters. Take the words “ghost” and “ghastly.” Why do they each have a silent “h”? Well, I finally got my answer! In my previous blog post called “Why we spell the way we do: Part 1 (opens in new tab),” I talked about how other languages influenced English spelling. But there were two major events that further complicated the matter: the Great Vowel Shift and the advent of the printing press. Dictionary writers then tried to bring order to English spelling in the 16th century. Let’s take a look at what happened. Skewing sounds: The Great Vowel Shift The Great Vowel Shift was a slow but significant shift in English pronunciation. Although it’s not entirely clear when it began or ended, most of the shift took place between the 15th and 18th centuries. During this time, the sounds of long vowels were gradually made higher and closer to the front of the mouth. For example, the long ū (as in “too”) changed to the diphthong [aw] (as in “now” or “eyebrow”).Footnote 1 According to Luke Mastin, “the spellings of some words changed to reflect the change in pronunciation (for example, ‘stone’ from ‘stan,’ ‘rope’ from ‘rap,’ […]), but most did not.”Footnote 2 The Great Vowel Shift helps to explain why some words with different spellings, such as “feet” and “feat,” are pronounced the same way. It also explains why we pronounce words like “treat” and “great” differently, even though they’re spelled similarly.Footnote 3 As these changes were underway, the printing press arrived in England. Publishing proofs: The printing press When reading books, magazines or newspapers, I’m always shocked when I come across a spelling error. But I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to read something in the 15th century. There were no dictionaries back then, which meant that even publishers couldn’t agree on spelling. In 1476, William Caxton introduced the printing press to England. At the time, there were five major dialects, which meant that spelling variations were the norm, and some words could even be spelled up to 500 different ways!Footnote 4 Caxton used the government’s Chancery Standard as a spelling guide, but he didn’t follow it religiously. As a result, the spellings that he used were often inconsistent (like “booke” and “boke”).Footnote 5 What’s more, the printers who worked with Caxton sometimes used Dutch spellings (for example, “ghost” instead of “gost”—there’s that silent “h”!), and there were even times when different spellings had to be used for formatting purposes.Footnote 6 Something needed to be done, so dictionary writers stepped in to bring order to the spelling chaos! Clearing confusion: The first dictionaries According to the English Spelling Society, the end of the 16th century saw numerous calls to standardize English spelling. The first person to answer those calls was Richard Mulcaster. In 1582, he wrote a book on correct spelling called The first Part of the Elementarie. But there was just one problem: he included only 8,000 words! Soon after, Edmund Coote wrote the English Schoole-maister, which was based on popular usage. The next major work to be published was Samuel Johnson’s dictionary in 1755.Footnote 7 Since that dictionary was written, only minor changes have been made to English spelling. For more information on Samuel Johnson’s work and how it affected Canadian spelling, read the blog post called “Why Canadian spelling is different (opens in new tab).” The Great Vowel Shift and the advent of the printing press help to explain why there are so many irregularities in English spelling. Over the years, there have been many calls for spelling reform. Even today, a number of groups would like to change our spelling system so that it’s more consistent and reflects our pronunciation. Would you support spelling reform? And if so, how would you begin that process? Sources Note 1 Dictionary.com. (n.d.). “Who’s To Blame For Weird English Spellings? (opens in new tab)” Return to footnote 1 referrer Note 2 Mastin, L. (Editor). (2011). Early Modern English (c. 1500 - c. 1800) (opens in new tab). The History of English. Return to footnote 2 referrer Note 3 Percy, C. The Great Vowel Shift (opens in new tab). Return to footnote 3 referrer Note 4 Mahabal, P. Changes in language: Modern English (opens in new tab). Elizabethan Era. Return to footnote 4 referrer Note 5 Mastin, L. (Editor). (2011). Early Modern English (c. 1500 - C. 1800) (opens in new tab). The History of English. Return to footnote 5 referrer Note 6 The English Spelling Society. (n.d.). “Printing adds to the muddle (opens in new tab).” A brief history of English spelling. Return to footnote 6 referrer Note 7 The English Spelling Society. (n.d.). “The early dictionary writers (opens in new tab).” A brief history of English spelling. Return to footnote 7 referrerSource : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 1 902
“I” before “e” except after “c” ... or maybe not
An English blog post about the usefulness of the spelling mnemonics.It's no secret that English is a difficult language when it comes to spelling. If you grew up attending an English elementary school in Canada, you’ve probably heard a bunch of sayings and rhymes intended to help you learn various spelling conventions. Here are a few fun sayings: When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking Drop the “y,” replace with “i,” and add “es” “Q” and “u” are the best of friends The first example helps with figuring out the pronunciation of a word; the second is used all the time to make words that end in “y” plural; and the third is almost a hard-and-fast rule. The rule that puzzled me for years: “i” before “e” except after “c” This saying tells us that while “ie” is the usual order for this letter pairing, when the letters “i” and “e” appear after a “c” in a word, they should be inverted to “ei.” When I was in school, the puzzling part was encountering all the words that don’t follow this rule! How many times have you come across a word that’s spelled with a “c,” an “i,” and an “e,” and not known the order in which the vowels are supposed to be written? The table below displays some words where the rule is applied, as well as some examples of words where the inversion doesn’t occur after the letter “c.” Words spelled “cei” and “cie” “i” before “e” except after “c” “i” before “e” after “c” ceiling conceit imperceivably receipt receive ancient conscience deficiency efficient glacier science society When the sound is pronounced “see” If you say each word aloud, you’ll notice that in the first column, all the words with the “cei” spelling are pronounced like the verb “see.” As you say each word in the second column, you’ll notice that “cie” isn’t always pronounced the same way. Maybe pronunciation is part of the rule, and we just forget to tack it onto the saying. Lexico agrees that when the sound is pronounced like a double “e,” the rule does apply.Note 1 The online version of Merriam-Webster has an article with additional sayings that explain more of the exceptions to the “‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’” rhyme, but it doesn’t cover all of the possibilities.Note 2 There are too many exceptions! Evidence in numbers Out of curiosity, I turned to the Oxford English Dictionary's advanced search function to find some numerical information for comparison. First, I used the search command “*cei*” to determine how many words follow the saying and use a “cei” spelling. This search produced 191 results. Then, I used the search command “*cie* NOT *cies*”Note 3 to determine how many words don’t follow the saying, but instead use a “cie” spelling. This search produced 300 results! As you can see in the comparison of these figures, there are more words in the Oxford English Dictionary that use an “i” before “e” after “c” spelling than what the catchy saying seems to suggest. Perhaps it would be easier to learn the order of “i’s,” “e’s,” and “c’s” without the not-so-accurate rule. If you’re interested in learning about misconceptions that go beyond spelling, check out this article on grammar myths (opens in new tab)! And for a little bit of history on the quirks of English spelling, here’s a blog post called “Why Canadian spelling is different.” (opens in new tab) Were you taught any other sayings to help with spelling or grammar that have lots of exceptions? Leave a comment below! Notes Note 1 Oxford University Press. (2021). Does The Rule “I Before E Except After C” Always Apply? (opens in new tab) Lexico.com. Return to note 1 referrer Note 2 Merriam-Webster. I Before E Except After C (opens in new tab). Return to note 2 referrer Note 3 I used “NOT *cies” to avoid all the plural forms of words that end in “y” (they follow a different rule, “Drop the ‘y,’ replace with ‘i,’ and add ‘es,’” as seen above). I wanted to include only words in their original forms in order to obtain the most accurate information. Return to note 3 referrerSource : Blogue Nos langues (billets de collaborateurs)
Nombre de consultations : 1 651