Lens or Lense

Phranquey · Feb 25, 2010

Derrel said:
U-no wht I mean,rt?

You hit on, what I think, is definitely part of the problem. Nothing drives me nuttier that people who type in "text speak", don't abbreviate, don't capitalize, won't use proper punctuation... they just tipe it the way is sownds, as fast as they can, and no longer take any pride in how it looks.

:banghead:

:soapbox:

OK, I'm done.

skieur · Feb 26, 2010

Phranquey said:
skieur said:

By the way, I have a degree in languages, which explains my interest.

skieur

Click to expand...

Oh, man.... I'm willing to bet there are some phrases out there that are like nails on a chalkboard to you.

You certainly have that right. :lol:

skieur

astrostu · Feb 26, 2010

I actually got really angry about this on this particular forum about 2-3 years ago. I was getting ready to post a rant thaT, "IT'S 'LENS,' PEOPLE, NOT 'LENSE,'" but then I checked a dictionary and it stated that "lense" was an accepted variant. However, now that I look it up in an updated version of that dictionary, the mention of "lense" being an accepted variant is not present.

So, come on people, drop the "e!" English is not French -- we don't have a gagillion extra silent letters at the ends of words!

Dwig · Feb 27, 2010

Overread said:
Merriam-Webster's is not Oxford thus it does not count as a proper dictionary!

How true. M-W lists "lense" as a variant, and it modern common web-eze it is an all to common misspelling. English is a plastic language and changes as people change the way they use it.

I just checked my OED (an ink-on-paper "compact" edition from the 1970's and thus pre-web) and it does not show "lense" as a variant. The only old/archaic spelling it mentions is "lens's", an archaic possessive long since replaced by " lens' ", and the original Latin "lente". The work arrives in English through the Latin "lente", referring to its shape as being "lentil like".

As one should be aware, the vast majority of dictionaries, even those that claim "unabridged", are dictionaries "of current usage". The OED is unique in that it includes all definitions of all English words at all points in the history of the language.