Roofs or Rooves?
Murray Moffatt
someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
Murray Arnow
It seems that the dictionaries agree with you. Since money is on the line,
have that someone give dictionary evidence that he is correct(We Murrays must
stick together.) BTW, the American dictionary RHD2 agrees with you. What we
probably have is a pronunciation issue akin to asking is "of" spelled with an
"f" or a "v?"
I don't know what "disp." means either; "alternate sp." or something similar
is used by my dictionaries. You should go back to the dictionary and look for
the index of abbreviations.
Jayne
rka...@adsl-151-203-22-73.bellatlantic.net
>What is the plural or "roof"? I always thought it was "roofs" but
>someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
>they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
>person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
>mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
>
>Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
I pronounce it "rooves", but I tend to overdo the -f pluralizing to -ves
thing. My guess is the same as yours, that "disp." probably means
disputed, and that "roofs" is a more correct spelling than "rooves".
According to altavista, "roofs" is a hundred times more common than
"rooves".
Rachel
Robert M. Wilson
Murray Moffatt wrote in message <3816A238...@ihug.co.nz>...
>What is the plural or "roof"? I always thought it was "roofs" but
>someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
>they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
>person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
>mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
As I have heard it quite often, I was surprised to find that only one of the
half-dozen dictionaries I consulted had "rooves" as an alternate — *The Gage
Canadian*.
Fowler under "-ved, -ves" says "roof. No 've' form".
I assume that "disp." is a contraction of 'disputed', though none of the
dictionaries that I use, including two different Oxfords, use the term.
a1a5...@sprint.ca
>Well, have never heard of "rooves".
>
It is part of the verb 'to roove', one sense of which is to fasten
with rivets.
Matti Lamprhey
news:3816A238...@ihug.co.nz...
> What is the plural or "roof"? I always thought it was "roofs" but
> someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
> they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
> person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
> mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
>
Speaking from the UK (but not necessarily for it!) and deliberately avoiding
my dictionary, I would say that we tend to spell the word "roofs" but
pronounce it "rooves".
You will now get 10 other Brits denying this, no doubt...
Matti
arjay
news:7v799b$4...@enews4.newsguy.com...
>
<snip>
> I assume that "disp." is a contraction of 'disputed', though none of the
> dictionaries that I use, including two different Oxfords, use the term.
>
That edition is available on CD-ROM, and can be installed to one's hard
drive.
arjay
P&D Schultz
>
> Jayne wrote in message <381705E5...@hotmail.com>...
> >Well, have never heard of "rooves".
>
> you hear 'rooves'. <g>.
I don't. I hear "roofs." I only hear "rooves" if they say "rooves." The
two spellings are available to represent the two pronunciations. Just
like "hoofs" and "hooves."
//P. Schultz
//P. Schultz
Iskandar Baharuddin
>
> On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:56:56 +1300, Murray Moffatt <mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
> >someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
> >they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
> >person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
> >mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
> >
> >Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
>
> thing. My guess is the same as yours, that "disp." probably means
> disputed, and that "roofs" is a more correct spelling than "rooves".
>
> According to altavista, "roofs" is a hundred times more common than
> "rooves".
>
> Rachel
I have not kept score, but I have the impression that the
pronunciation of the plural is influenced by the pronunciation
of "roof".
Some NESsies say "roof" with the vowel from "tooth".
Others say "roof" with the vowel from "hoof".
My impression is that the former tend to say "roofs", the latter
"rooves".
But I have been wrong before ... ;)
--
Izzy
"One day I sat brooding, depressed, alone, with no one to turn
to -
then, suddenly, a voice came to me from out of the gloom,
saying:
'Cheer up! After all, things could be worse!'
"So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse..."
from "My Struggle", by Alfred E Neuman
Graham
Matti Lamprhey wrote in message <38176...@news.netdirect.net.uk>...
>> someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
>> they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
>> person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary
that
>> mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
>>
>> Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
>
avoiding
>my dictionary, I would say that we tend to spell the word "roofs" but
>pronounce it "rooves".
>
>You will now get 10 other Brits denying this, no doubt...
No - I'll support that, Matti.
BTW 'disp' *is* 'disputed' as seen in COD9 CD.
--
Graham W. D-I-Y Astro Projects, Digital & Film Camera Photos
WIMBORNE http://www.graham-wood.freeserve.co.uk/
Dorset Wessex Astronomical Society - Program, Location
UK http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/
Graham
Yes you have ! Every time someone says the word 'roofs'
you hear 'rooves'. <g>.
--
Charles Riggs
<r...@island.net> wrote:
>I assume that "disp." is a contraction of 'disputed', though none of the
>dictionaries that I use, including two different Oxfords, use the term.
However, it is used by the Concise Oxford Dictionary and means, as you
suspected, disputed. An example can be found under the entry for
"their" where the meaning of third person, singular is listed as
"disp."
Charles Riggs
a1a5...@sprint.ca
<bren...@highway1.com.au> wrote:
>
>I have not kept score, but I have the impression that the
>pronunciation of the plural is influenced by the pronunciation
>of "roof".
>
>Some NESsies say "roof" with the vowel from "tooth".
>
>Others say "roof" with the vowel from "hoof".
>
>My impression is that the former tend to say "roofs", the latter
>"rooves".
If you think there is a difference in standard (RP) English between
the vowels of 'hoof' and 'tooth' then I must suggest that drawing
conclusions from the thought is an impertinence.
The lazy elimination of the pout in the pronunciation of the double
'o' in either of those words is one of the marks of Kensington
cockney.
One might as well say that those who give the same pronunciation to
the final consonants of 'hoof' and 'tooth' voice the penunultimate
sound of the plural of 'roof'. They may, but so what?
>
>But I have been wrong before ... ;)
>Izzy
>
Don't tell me about it. I have only ruth.
Bill Schnakenberg
>
> rka...@adsl-151-203-22-73.bellatlantic.net wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:56:56 +1300, Murray Moffatt <mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
> > >someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
> > >they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
> > >person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary that
> > >mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
> > >
> > >Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
> >
> > thing. My guess is the same as yours, that "disp." probably means
> > disputed, and that "roofs" is a more correct spelling than "rooves".
> >
> > According to altavista, "roofs" is a hundred times more common than
> > "rooves".
Qualifications: I was a part-time house building carpenter.
I pronounce it with the vowel sound in 'tooth'.
I avoid using it in the plural since it sounds bad either way.
I would say, "We have to put a roof on each of these houses starting
tomorrow"
<insert smiley here>
> >
> > Rachel
>
> I have not kept score, but I have the impression that the
> pronunciation of the plural is influenced by the pronunciation
> of "roof".
>
> Some NESsies say "roof" with the vowel from "tooth".
>
> Others say "roof" with the vowel from "hoof".
>
> My impression is that the former tend to say "roofs", the latter
> "rooves".
>
> But I have been wrong before ... ;)
>
> --
> Izzy
>
> "One day I sat brooding, depressed, alone, with no one to turn
> to -
> then, suddenly, a voice came to me from out of the gloom,
> saying:
>
> 'Cheer up! After all, things could be worse!'
>
> "So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse..."
>
> from "My Struggle", by Alfred E Neuman
--
Bill -
PSP Terrorist - D'Lanok de Caresk chapter - Anti-Troll Unit 235
--------------------------------------------------------------
The USS Salem, CA-139. The World's only preserved Heavy Cruiser,
Quincy, MASS. http://www.frontiernet.net/~willshak/salem/salem.html
--------------------------------------------------------------
Remove OutSpammedDot from my e-mail address when replying directly.
Any e-mail sent from @Hotmail.com is deleted without being read.
Danny Collman
wood.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>
>Matti Lamprhey wrote in message <38176...@news.netdirect.net.uk>...
>>Murray Moffatt <mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote in message
>>news:3816A238...@ihug.co.nz...
>>> someone bet me it was "rooves". I consulted several dictionaries and
>>> they all said "roofs" and made no mention of "rooves", but this other
>>> person has given me a photocopied page from the Oxford dictionary
>that
>>> mentions "roofs" as the plural and then says "disp. rooves".
>>>
>>> Who is correct? What does the "disp." mean? (disputed?)
>>
>avoiding
>>my dictionary, I would say that we tend to spell the word "roofs" but
>>pronounce it "rooves".
>>
>>You will now get 10 other Brits denying this, no doubt...
>
>
>No - I'll support that, Matti.
Oh dear, we're going to get Brits in arguments with each other: I will
definitely not support that: 'roof' and 'hoof' both have plurals ending
simply in 's'...... BUT....
....we may be talking regional variation here in regard to
pronunciation: in the southeast (Hertfordshire - London overspill) where
I was brung (smiley) up in the 50s, we always spelled and pronounced
both words as roof/rooves, hoof/hooves (to rhyme with boot). The plural
spelling changed during the 70s to the simple 's' ending.
I've never really bothered with what the dictionary told me was correct
since they're usually out of date before they've even been published.
--
Danny Collman, Birmingham
Einde O'Callaghan
In a similar vein I remember that in the West of Ireland when I was a
kid we pronounced the plural of "handkerchief" as if if was spelled
"handkerchieves" although we actually spelled it "handkerchiefs". I
don't know if this is still true. I haven't been able to judge in recent
years since mostly when the topic of runny noses comes up now they offer
a paper hankie and not a handkerchief.
eo'c
Murray White
Bill Schnakenberg <willshakOu...@frontiernet.net> wrote in
message news:38185CD7...@frontiernet.net...
> Iskandar Baharuddin wrote:
> >
> > rka...@adsl-151-203-22-73.bellatlantic.net wrote:
> > >
> > > On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:56:56 +1300, Murray Moffatt
<mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
but
> > > >someone bet me it was "rooves".
I suspect that one would find it common to distinguish between the 2
plurals in this way.
Rooves=more than one roof on the same building ie. multi shaped rooves
Roofs=individual roofs but on multiple buildings.
--
Murray White APPO MPA
ICQ 660718 wedding photographer/knife collector
Surf and Earn Money at
http://www.alladvantage.com/go.asp?refid=FEG948
Iskandar Baharuddin
>
> Bill Schnakenberg <willshakOu...@frontiernet.net> wrote in
> message news:38185CD7...@frontiernet.net...
> > Iskandar Baharuddin wrote:
> > >
> > > rka...@adsl-151-203-22-73.bellatlantic.net wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:56:56 +1300, Murray Moffatt
> <mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
> > > > >What is the plural or "roof"? I always thought it was "roofs"
> but
> > > > >someone bet me it was "rooves".
> > Qualifications: I was a part-time house building carpenter.
>
> I suspect that one would find it common to distinguish between the 2
> plurals in this way.
>
> Rooves=more than one roof on the same building ie. multi shaped rooves
> Roofs=individual roofs but on multiple buildings.
>
Waaaduh!
Inggeris is even more complicated than I thought!
--
Salaam & Shalom
Izzy
Anandashankar Mazumdar
Iskandar Baharuddin <bren...@highway1.com.au> wrote:
>> Rooves=more than one roof on the same building ie. multi shaped
>> rooves
>> Roofs=individual roofs but on multiple buildings.
> Waaaduh!
> Inggeris is even more complicated than I thought!
Don't you believe it, Izzy.
Ananda
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
a1a5...@sprint.ca
<bren...@highway1.com.au> wrote:
>Murray White wrote:
>>
>> Bill Schnakenberg <willshakOu...@frontiernet.net> wrote in
>> message news:38185CD7...@frontiernet.net...
>> > Iskandar Baharuddin wrote:
>> > >
>> > > rka...@adsl-151-203-22-73.bellatlantic.net wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 19:56:56 +1300, Murray Moffatt
>> <mode...@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
>> > > > >What is the plural or "roof"? I always thought it was "roofs"
>> but
>> > > > >someone bet me it was "rooves".
>> > Qualifications: I was a part-time house building carpenter.
>>
>> I suspect that one would find it common to distinguish between the 2
>> plurals in this way.
>>
>> Rooves=more than one roof on the same building ie. multi shaped rooves
>> Roofs=individual roofs but on multiple buildings.
>>
>
>Waaaduh!
>
>Inggeris is even more complicated than I thought!
>
>--
>Salaam & Shalom
>
>Izzy
>
>"So I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse..."
>
> from "My Struggle", by Alfred E Neuman
You have met your match, I suspect.
a1a5...@sprint.ca
<amaz...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>In article <381EADCD...@highway1.com.au>,
> Iskandar Baharuddin <bren...@highway1.com.au> wrote:
>
>>> Rooves=more than one roof on the same building ie. multi shaped
>>> rooves
>>> Roofs=individual roofs but on multiple buildings.
>
>> Waaaduh!
>
>> Inggeris is even more complicated than I thought!
>
> Don't you believe it, Izzy.
>
> Ananda
>
Ben ditt, as they say in Laval.