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Subject:Re: Enquiries/Inquiries From:Steve Victor <svictor -at- LGC -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 9 Aug 1995 13:11:14 CDT
> I recently corrected someone using 'Inquiries' -
> and his response was that although he preferred
> Enquiries, the Oxford dictionary he consulted
> suggested that Enquiries is an alternate spelling.
> My understanding is that an Enquiry is to ask, and
> Inquiry is, for example, a Judicial Inquiry, or
> even the Inquisition; less of a request and more
> an investigation.
> So - am I right? I dearly hope so, because Inquiries
> always makes me squirm.
> Thanks people,
> Anne Casey
> Techwriter from the end of the Internet
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate lists enquire and enquiry as variant spellings of
inquire and inquiry. This is American usage, however. Since you are apparently
in Australia, I would imagine you would prefer English usage, and you couldn't
ask for a better source of English usage than the OED. It seems to me that your
colleague is correct.
Regards.
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Stephen P. Victor svictor -at- lgc -dot- com
Landmark Graphics Corporation http://www.cda.ulpgc.es/steve.html
15150 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77009 USA
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