Sep*rate words?

Marvinthefish

I'm thoroughly confused about the difference between the words "sepErate" and "sepArate".

A quick online search revealed that some people think "sepErate" is not a word. No way, no how. You're stupid if you think "sepErate" is a word. It's a misspelling.

On the other hand, some people are adamant they were taught the difference between the two words when they were in school. The two words have clear definitions, like "practice" and "practise".

Can you good people on boards.ie come up with a definitive answer for this? Is there an authorative source?

deman

Seperate is NOT a word. It even comes up now as an error with my auto spell-check. It is just a very commonly misspelt word, like definately, aswell, and alot which you see every single day. People seem to think these words are correct and acceptable but they're not. I don't blame the people making these mistakes but the education system itself.

FlutterinBantam

Comes from the latin "separare" as in se which is apart hence "section" a piece different or apart.Seclude would be another example= away from +cludere to close which evolves into seclude to close away.

And "parare" to make up or prepare.

hence se parare to prepare apart which of course is separate more or less as used in English today.

Marvinthefish

deman wrote: »

It even comes up now as an error with my auto spell-check.

You don't really convince me with that. A computer spell checker is just one company's version of a language surely? I don't consider an auto spell-check an authorative source.

I have to say my feeling is that they're two different words (notice the way I'm not saying "two sep*rate words" ). I feel that "sepErate" is an adjective: for example, "a wristwatch and a clock are sepErate things". Whereas "sepArate" is a verb: for example, "You can't sepArate night from day when you're at the North Pole in winter without a watch."

I could be completely wrong though! :pac:

deman

Marvinthefish wrote: »

You don't really convince me with that. A computer spell checker is just one company's version of a language surely? I don't consider an auto spell-check an authorative source.

I generally don't pay much attention to spell checks anyway but just thought I'd point it out.

Marvinthefish wrote: »

I have to say my feeling is that they're two different words (notice the way I'm not saying "two sep*rate words" ). I feel that "sepErate" is an adjective: for example, "a wristwatch and a clock are sepErate things". Whereas "sepArate" is a verb: for example, "You can't sepArate night from day when you're at the North Pole in winter without a watch."

I could be completely wrong though! :pac:

There's one part of this statement that is right.... the last part . Separate is both a verb and an adjective as well as a noun. The only difference is that the verb ( sep-uh-reyt) is pronounced differently to the noun and adjective (sep-er-it).

MathsManiac

I can't believe that you looked very hard for an "authoritative source". Did you not try looking up a regular dictionary?

The Concise Oxford Dictionary tells you that "separate" is the correct spelling for both adjective and verb, and have no listing for "seperate", thereby indicating that it doesn't exist as a correct word as far as they are concerned. I'd be surprised to find that Chambers or Cambridge would say any different.

Did you find an actual dictionary in print from a reputable publisher that told you that "seperate" is a real word?

Marvinthefish

MathsManiac wrote: »

I can't believe that you looked very hard for an "authoritative source". Did you not try looking up a regular dictionary?

Did you find an actual dictionary in print from a reputable publisher that told you that "seperate" is a real word?

OK no I didn't look very hard. I don't have a dictionary to hand (those things are expensive). I just came up against this problem when I had to write "separate" a couple of times in a report and it sparked a desire to know for definite what the spelling was.

Right, so it's the same spelling but different pronounciations for the two different meanings of separate. Sorted. If I ever meet anyone now who insists it's "sepErate", I'll point them to this thread! :P

Thanks for the replies!

deman

An Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)

A bargain at £3.99