a mistake in the Microsoft dictionary

Igor · External Since: Jul 31, 2006 Posts: 2

I found what seems to be a mistake in the dictionary that MS supplied
with Office 2000. "plebian" does not show up as a misspelling -- but
it is, as best as I can tell.

The word is correctly spelled "plebeian". I cannot find any authority
on the Internet that says that "plebian" is even an "alternative".

Here is just one of the references that I found:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=plebeian

Yes, I have checked my custom dictionary and "plebian" is not in
there.

As a work-around, I have used auto-correct plebian -> plebeian.

How might one bring this to the attention of MS -- assuming it was not
caught before and corrected? - Igor

Opinicus · External Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 157

"Igor" <no_spam.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> wrote

>I found what seems to be a mistake in the dictionary that MS supplied
> with Office 2000. "plebian" does not show up as a misspelling -- but
> it is, as best as I can tell.
> The word is correctly spelled "plebeian". I cannot find any authority
> on the Internet that says that "plebian" is even an "alternative".

Merriam-Webster Unabridged calls it a "variant":
"plebeian." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.
Merriam-Webster, 2002.

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (1 Aug. 2006).

If you dislike the spelling, you can put it in your exceptions dictionary.

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

Igor · External Since: Jul 31, 2006 Posts: 2

On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 11:04:00 +0300, "Opinicus" <gezgin.RemoveThis@spamcop.net>
wrote:

>"Igor" <no_spam.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> wrote
>
>>I found what seems to be a mistake in the dictionary that MS supplied
>> with Office 2000. "plebian" does not show up as a misspelling -- but
>> it is, as best as I can tell.
>> The word is correctly spelled "plebeian". I cannot find any authority
>> on the Internet that says that "plebian" is even an "alternative".
>
>Merriam-Webster Unabridged calls it a "variant":
>"plebeian." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.
>Merriam-Webster, 2002.
>
>http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (1 Aug. 2006).
>
>If you dislike the spelling, you can put it in your exceptions dictionary.
>--
>Bob
>http://www.kanyak.com

Thanks. That is very interesting. At the M-W free website (e.g.),
here is what I got for "plebian":

The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary. Click on a
spelling suggestion below or try again using the search box
to the right.

Suggestions for plebian:
1. plebeian
2. Polabian
3. pole bean
4. plebeians
5. Playbill
6. pliable
7. Pelion
8. Polabians
9. plebeianly
10. play by ear

As I mentioned, _I_ could not find "any" on-line reference for
"plebian". I suppose I should have limited that assertion to _free
websites_. I wonder if the Unabridged calls "Febuary" a variant of
"February"?

Of course, "theatre" is a common variant spelling of "theater". I am
not up on my dictionary nomenclature, but "plebian" seems to be rather
far afield to be a mere "variant". That being said, I just dug out my
5" thick Webster's Dictionary of the English Language and the listing
is tamely "plebeian, plebian", so I sit corrected.

BTW, I could not find a reference to the dictionary that MS Office
2000 uses. Under "About", it just says that the "spelling correction
system" is by Lernout & Hauspie.

Again, Bob, thanks. - Igor

Opinicus · External Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 157

"Igor" <no_spam.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> wrote

> I wonder if the Unabridged calls "Febuary" a variant of
> "February"?

It offers the following

Suggestions for febuary:

1. february 2. feaberry

3. febri- 4. fibbery

5. februarys 6. februaries

7. fabry's 8. febris

9. fabric 10. fabrics

11. fibro 12. febrile

13. fibro- 14. fibers

15. fibbers 16. fibrous

17. fibroin 18. fibrose

19. fibroid 20. foppery

Wink

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

aalaan · External Since: Jul 08, 2006 Posts: 92

"Igor" <no_spam.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> wrote in message

<snip>>

> Suggestions for plebian:
> 1. plebeian
> 2. Polabian
> 3. pole bean
> 4. plebeians
> 5. Playbill
> 6. pliable
> 7. Pelion
> 8. Polabians
> 9. plebeianly
> 10. play by ear
>
Don't you just love some of those suggestions? I would think whatever
document you are editing would benefit unexpectedly from 'pole bean'
(whatever that is) or 'play by ear' (hardly an adjective). Just reminds us
never to rely on the spell checker. I had some scientific document I was
editing a while ago; I forget the word, but Word didn't like it and
continually offered the suggestion 'knickers'... Thankfully I did not idly
select 'replace all'
>
> Of course, "theatre" is a common variant spelling of "theater".

Theatre is of course the English (UK) and Australian version.

Opinicus · External Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 157

<aalaan.DeleteThis@tpg.com.au> wrote in message

> Theatre is of course the English (UK) and Australian version.

"Theatre" is the standard English spelling everywhere other than the USA, I
believe.

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com