Repair & prepare but in Latin, reparare & preparare.

Cruel Typing   Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:03 am GMT
If these two words are derived from Latin, why is the termination -air or
-are to confuse those who don't pay attention to the memorization?

Perhaps Norman French made Englishmen spell wrong while pronouncing with the great vowel shift. If Latin were closer than French, Dutch, Norwegian and Swede, the English Language would be an easier one to spell.
Lazar   Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:11 am GMT
From looking at the etymologies at dictionary.com, it seems that the reason for the spelling differences between "repair, impair" words and "prepare, compare" words seems to be that the former were borrowed from French, whereas the latter were borrowed directly from Latin.
04NO   Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:46 am GMT
"Perhaps Norman French made Englishmen spell wrong while pronouncing with the great vowel shift."

I'm sorry, what on earth are you talking about?

Surely you realize that, at the period in history when these words were coming into what was then English, most people couldn't even write let alone spell?

Further, where did you get this "Englishmen spell wrong" nonsense from? You don't judge whether words are spelled "wrong" by using the spelling system of another language.

The spelling of the words "repair," "impair," "prepare" and "compare" as written in this sentence is perfectly correct - because these are English words and that is how they are spelled in written English (duh!).
Cruel Typing   Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:10 am GMT
I did not mean that repair and prepare are written wrong in the Modern English, duh!

I just say that these words came spelled different by any reason they didn't think these should be spelled with -air or -are at the end of many words with that rhyme, not different. By the way, this is how this language must be. To be or not, this is some shit that guys like you don't understand, perhaps because etymology is not important, just the spoken crazy pronunciation.
Guest   Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:16 am GMT
English pronunciation isn't crazy. It's the spelling that is.
NO/04!   Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:18 am GMT
'Where, bear, fair, and care' should be in a better spelling like / hwaer, baer, faer, and caer /,
/ hwair, bair, fair, cair /,
/ hware, bare, fare, care /, or
/ hwere, bere, fere, cere / what a shit, I recognize and realize it!
04/NO   Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:22 am GMT
If the pronunciation isn't crazy, they just crazed the spelling by any reason they didn't like to spell, even with a different alphabet style like in Chinese or any.
greg   Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:11 am GMT
Lazar : « From looking at the etymologies at dictionary.com, it seems that the reason for the spelling differences between "repair, impair" words and "prepare, compare" words seems to be that the former were borrowed from French, whereas the latter were borrowed directly from Latin. »

Il semble en fait que les quatre sont des emprunts au français.
Guest   Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:07 am GMT
I am tired of this Englishphobic greg.
04NI   Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:52 am GMT
"By the way, this is how this language must be. To be or not, this is some shit that guys like you don't understand, perhaps because etymology is not important, just the spoken crazy pronunciation."

As Guest succinctly pointed out: "English pronunciation isn't crazy. It's the spelling that is."

It's too bad that English spelling is "crazy" but, that's the way the cookie crumbles, friend. If you want to read and write in English, you'll just have to accept the fact and get on with it.

Our eccentric spelling system doesn't seem to have hampered the popularity of our language.
Guest   Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:58 am GMT
<Our eccentric spelling system doesn't seem to have hampered the popularity of our language. >

I just shows that how much hard work non native students put in to their learning of the language in spite of its eccentricities. All credit must go to them if they pull it off to a native like level.
04NH   Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:27 am GMT
"I just shows that how much hard work non native students put in to their learning of the language in spite of its eccentricities. All credit must go to them if they pull it off to a native like level."

Actually, I think English spelling is no less daunting for native speakers.
Cruel Typing 04/NO   Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:54 am GMT
Life is limited to each person, so to worry about something that belongs to the native speakers is tough. We the learners won't change its spelling, even if we all criticize how difficult it is. Years will make a process to change what has been complicated and should be easier.

Eccentric spelling system isn't only English, but some have changed or continued the archaic writings.

The fact is that I try not to make mistakes when I write, but I face this is hard and inevitable or unavoidable.