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Subject:Re: "tridant" vs. "trident" From:Tim Altom <taltom -at- IQUEST -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 16 Jul 1996 20:24:00 EST
At 04:41 PM 7/16/96 PDT, you wrote:
>So I think spelling the word for this geographical division "trident" makes
>as much sense as writing "their are seven requirements" or "the
>organizational restructuring brought about many unexpected affects." It
>seems unprofessional to misspell it just because the client misspells it.
>I don't want to tick off the client, of course, and if they really want it
>that way, I'll do it that way. But I'm wondering if anyone has any other
>thoughts.
I think you're right, both about not wanting to tick off your client, and
about straightening out the spelling issue. Words can be readily made and
destroyed, especially jargon words. I'd see if the client would agree to
have "tridant" defined as a special word, just as you'd do with most jargon.
Then spell "tridant" consistently throughout. You can bring up the argument
that while the reader might associate "trident" with a third part of a
geographical area, it's not a sure thing, especially for a learned reader
who knows his Poseiden stories. On the other hand, the unusual spelling of
"tridant" would signal the reader that it's a special word for a special
case, rendering it more likely to be recognized as jargon. That increases
the overall "professional" tone of the work, because it's so deeply involved
in the business that it needs its own professional language.
I'm with you..."trident" is a cognitive speed bump.
Tim Altom
Vice President, Simply Written, Inc.
317.899.5882 (voice) 317.899.5987 (fax)
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