Nearby Words
Word Origin & History
-re
phonetic spelling change from -re to -er in words such as fibre, centre, theatre in U.S. began late 18c.; under urging of Noah Webster (1804 edition of his speller, and especially the 1806 dictionary), it was established over the next 25 years. The -re spelling, like -our, however, had the authority
EXPANDof Dr. Johnson's dictionary behind it and remained in Britain, where it came to be a point of national pride, contra the Yankees. Despite Webster's efforts, -re was retained in words with -c- or -g- (e.g. ogre, acre, the latter of which Webster insisted to the end of his days ought to be aker, and it was so printed in editions of the dictionary during his lifetime). The -re spelling generally is more justified by conservative etymology, based on Fr. antecedents. It is met today in the U.S. only in Theatre in the proper names of entertainment showplaces, where it is perhaps felt to convey a touch of class.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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-re
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
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