SPELLING
Sir,-Mr L. D. Austin appears to be unfortunate’ in his choice of "spelling errors" in The Listener. He complains that Barbara Brewer three times wrote "adaption" instead of adaptation, and remarks, "It would be interesting to
learn whether this is just carelessness, or lack of education." I think Mr Austin will have the candour to withdraw his criticism of Barbara Brewer-and incidentally of your proof-reader-when it is pointed out that at least one authority, Webster, admits "adaption" as a synonym for adaptation. Another of the four Listener "errors’ quoted by Mr Austin is that of "retraction" for retractation. Here I am afraid your unfortunate correspondent has fallen into a pit digged for another, for the will not only find "retraction" in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, but Fowler (Modern English Usage) advocates its general use in preference to retractation. ,
A. H.
REED
(Dunedin).
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19571018.2.17.2
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 949, 18 October 1957, Page 11
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143SPELLING New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 949, 18 October 1957, Page 11
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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