Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

Z=Impedance
Phi=gauss, magnetic flux.

Hi,

sorry for being unclear, if so. I just want to know something about the
correct writing of magnetization and/or magnetisation:

a) Do both versions exist in either AE or BE?
b) Is there a right-pondian or left-pondian preference to one of these (z or
s)

Hope this clearifies my problem.

Thanks.

Fab

native *speaking* has little to do with spelling.
BrE desk dictionaries are easily found; find one.

The 11th edition _Concise Oxford English Dictionary_ (COD11) has only
the 'z' form of the noun. although with the 's' form of the verb as an
alternative:

magnetize or magnetise
n    verb make magnetic.

DERIVATIVES
    magnetizable adjective
    magnetization noun
    magnetizer noun

The somewhat bulkier 5th edition _Shorter Oxford English Dictionary_
(SOED5) has the 's' form as an alternative:

magnetization, noun. /%magnItVI"zeIS(@)n/ Also magnetisation. E19.
[from MAGNETIZE + -ATION.]

The action of magnetizing; the condition of being magnetized.

Comb.: magnetization curve a graph of magnetic induction against
magnetic field strength in the same region.

The somewhat more conservative 2003 Chambers also lists the 's' form as
an alternative form, with the 'z' form as more standard:

[s.v. 'magnet']
magetization or -s- /n./

Read the entry '-ize, -ise, in verbs' in Fowler. You should be able to
find a copy of the Gowers revision (1965) easily.  That article should
put an end to any superstitions that you have about British '-ise' and
American '-ize' usage, and it is over 40 years old even in the Gowers
revision.

In the U.S., -ize, -ization are standard spellings of those suffixes.
In Britain, the popular spellings (in journalism etc.) have s instead
of z; but the prestigious Oxford English Dictionary recommended the z,
and academic usage has largely gone along.

Pick one and stick to it.

If you use Microsoft Word, let it choose for you.

I vote for spelling it az pronounst, and that's with a zed.
You are right about British (and African) being the usual source of the
ess-variant.
"haz" may never become British, perhaps owing to "hath", and "hat"
(de).
BTW, I pronounse "intelijent" as most people spell it, which is the
Jerman way.
_______
http://ecn.ab.ca/~brewhaha/Sound/Kompleet_Ingglish_Alfabet.mp3
(You'll know when an mpg supplants the mp3,
that I'm finally done with the audio.)

Fabian H?lscher ha escrito:

Yes, AmE uses the z, and Merriam-Webster is American.  A better AmE
dictionary, though, is American Heritage (which also knows only the
z-version).  Available on-line at http:www.bartleby.com/61

Cece
native AmE speaker

You're sort of right. Standard AE (and Canadian E) only allows -z-;
standard BE (Australian E, etc.) allows either -s- or -z-. Hence AE,
CanE: _realize_; BrE, AusE, etc: _realise_ OR _realize_ but -s- is more
common - except perhaps in academic publishing. In the UK, the -z-
spelling has been considered the Oxford style, and the -s- the
Cambridge style.

And for certain words, only -s- is available: surprise, advertise.

Peter

Fabian H?lscher wrote:

The z-version is mostly AE and the s-version almost strictly BE.