Klarinet Archive - Posting 000435.txt from 2004/03

From: Bob Davenport <bob@------.freeserve.co.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] English and American
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 12:45:34 -0500

>On 2004.03.05 08:34, tony-w@------.co.uk wrote:
>> Just one more example - clarinetist and clarinettist - which is correct?
>> They can`t both be!!
>
>(As he attempts to drag this thread back on-topic...) As I
>understand it, the general orthographic rule in British English
>is to double a final consonant when adding a suffix whenever the
>vowel is short

In fact The Oxford Miniguide to English Usage says:

Doubling of final consonant

1. When certain suffixes beginning with a vowel are added to nouns,
adjectives, adverbs, and verbs, the final consonant of the stem word is
doubled before the suffix:

(a) if the preceding vowel is written with a single letter (or single
letter preceded by qu) and

(b) if that vowel bears the main stress (hence all monosyllables are include=
d).

So bed, bedding but head, heading; occur, occurred but offer, offered;
befit, befitted but benefit, benefited.

Suffixes which cause this doubling include:

(a) The verb inflexions -ed, -ing, e.g

begged, begging revved, revving equipped, equipping trek, trekking

(b) The adjective and adverb suffixes -er, -est, e.g. sadder, saddest.

(c) Various derivational suffixes, especially -able, -age, -en, -er, -ery,
-ish, -y, e.g.

clubbable tonnage sadden trapper

waggery priggish shrubby

Exception: bus makes bused, busing.

2. Words of more than one syllable, not stressed on the last syllable, do
not double the final consonant, unless it is l, when a suffix beginning
with a vowel is added, e.g.

biased blossoming combated focusing

gossipy wainscoted
lettered wickedest
pilotage womanish

Exception: worship makes worshipped, -ing.

Note that some other words in which the final syllable has a full vowel
(not obscure e or i), some of which are compounds, also double the final
consonant, e.g.

handicap hobnob horsewhip humbug
kidnap periwig
leapfrog sandbag
nonplus zigzag

* Amer. sometimes kidnaped, kidnaping, worshiped, worshiping.

3. Consonants that are never doubled are h, w, x, y.

4. When endings beginning with a vowel are added, lI is always doubled
after a single vowel wherever the stress falls, e.g.

controllable flannelled
jeweller panelling

Note also woollen, woolly.

Exceptions: parallel makes paralleled, -ing; devil makes devilish; some
(rare) superlatives such as brutalest, loyalest, civil(l )est.

* In Amer. spelling l obeys the same rules as the other consonants (except
h, w, x, y), e.g. traveler, marvelous, but compelling, pally.

Note also Amer. woolen (but woolly).

5. A silent final consonant is not doubled. Endings are added as if the
consonant were pronounced, e.g.

crocheted, -ing pr=E9cised

rendezvouses (third person singular) rendezvousing

That'll learn you!

Bob D.