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When did lense become lens
- Thread starter dhphoto
- Start date
Doug Kerr
Well-known member
Never (and I think you have it reversed in your message title).
Thankfully.
Edward Bussa
Member
You mean as in Lenses ?
Doug Kerr
Well-known member
Edward Bussa
Member
a quick spell-check on the internet =D turns up lense as a common (mis) spelling...
Will_Perlis
New member
It's a variant spelling, not a mis-spelling. It's been around forever, and not worth getting exercised over.
Nikolai Sklobovsky
New member
How about "lensus" for singular and "lensi" for plural? ;-)
Nikolai Sklobovsky
New member
In this case the old saying about selling one's birthright for a piece[meal] of lentil takes a whole new sense. Looks like that Cain fella was in fact the first Can[on]ite
Murray Foote
Member
I have always spelt the word lense and I continue to do so because it's a legitimate variant (if perhaps becoming somewhat archaic) and I don't care much whether I'm in the majority or the minority. Lacking an etymological dictionary, I suspect that the word came into English from French as lense and was perhaps simplified by the Americans to lens a couple of hundred years ago which is now the dominant spelling. Alternatively, it may have come both from French and Latin as different spellings and there was no standardisation in spelling until about 400 years ago anyway.
I moved dhphoto's original post, very quickly, from another thread, since it would have 'spoiled the flow' of the other thread. I deliberately switched the words around in this thread title.
For a number of brave posters on the www, english, usa or otherwise variety, is not their first language. Some folk are not able to spell check their postings, or make grammatical errors, fall over themselves in making typos, post the same thing a number of times. are dyslexic, or otherwise their postings do not make it to perfect english as she is wrote. However, we understand what is meant. Language evolves.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, at least one of their versions, 'lens' evolved from the Latin word for 'lentil', because it is of a similar shape. This makes absolutely no sense. The important aspect of a lens or lense, is that it lets the light through, more or less, its shape can be anything you want these days, so we want a 'these days' word.
Best wishes,
Ray
For a number of brave posters on the www, english, usa or otherwise variety, is not their first language. Some folk are not able to spell check their postings, or make grammatical errors, fall over themselves in making typos, post the same thing a number of times. are dyslexic, or otherwise their postings do not make it to perfect english as she is wrote. However, we understand what is meant. Language evolves.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, at least one of their versions, 'lens' evolved from the Latin word for 'lentil', because it is of a similar shape. This makes absolutely no sense. The important aspect of a lens or lense, is that it lets the light through, more or less, its shape can be anything you want these days, so we want a 'these days' word.
Best wishes,
Ray
James Roberts
New member
Um, never was *lense* as far as I can tell...
Well, I know standard english spellings didn't become formalized until about 400 years ago (if that early), but also according to the Oxford English Dictionary, lense is not a spelling variant.
Etymologically, as Ray points out, it comes from latin for lentil--which to me actually makes perfect sense because, in the early attestations, people like Newton are calling a lens a peice of glass that is spherically convex on both sides. Hmmm. If you put a lentil sideways, (a raw one, that is) that's exactly what they look like.
I've never seen lense except used except by non-English speakers, where it's quite common.
@ Murray--is lense an Australianism? None of my UK / Canadian / Commonwealth dictionaries have it!
Well, I know standard english spellings didn't become formalized until about 400 years ago (if that early), but also according to the Oxford English Dictionary, lense is not a spelling variant.
Etymologically, as Ray points out, it comes from latin for lentil--which to me actually makes perfect sense because, in the early attestations, people like Newton are calling a lens a peice of glass that is spherically convex on both sides. Hmmm. If you put a lentil sideways, (a raw one, that is
) that's exactly what they look like. I've never seen lense except used except by non-English speakers, where it's quite common.
@ Murray--is lense an Australianism? None of my UK / Canadian / Commonwealth dictionaries have it!
John Kirby
Member
Jamie,
As another Australian (and I don't think Murray would mind me answering on his behalf), the answer is a DEFINIT NOE.
The argument about the alternative spelling has been uselessly rattling around for ages, and will probably continue to do so.
Regards,
John.
As another Australian (and I don't think Murray would mind me answering on his behalf), the answer is a DEFINIT NOE.
The argument about the alternative spelling has been uselessly rattling around for ages, and will probably continue to do so.
Regards,
John.
Murray Foote
Member
Jamie
I come from New Zealand though I've lived in Australia for a long time. I expect that lens is the dominant spelling everywhere.
There are a few online dictionaries that list lense as an alternative:
My Concise Oxford only lists lens which establishes lens as the dominant spelling but may not preclude lense as an archaic or alternative spelling.
I happen to have a copy of The British Journal Photographic Almanac and Photographer's Daily Companion 1924 with which is incorporated the "Year Book of Photography and Amateurs Guide" and "The Photographic Annual (Figures, Facts and Formulae of Photography)" - to give the full title from its cover. I looked through that and could only find the spelling lens.
That might be an editorial policy but it doesn't help my presumption of archaic usage. Maybe I should start spellling it lens. I think the only authority that would settle it, though, would be a full Oxford dictionary which includes alternative spellings and cites quotes from the first known printed usage.
Regards,
Murray
I come from New Zealand though I've lived in Australia for a long time. I expect that lens is the dominant spelling everywhere.
There are a few online dictionaries that list lense as an alternative:
and apparantly Miriam-Webster.
My Concise Oxford only lists lens which establishes lens as the dominant spelling but may not preclude lense as an archaic or alternative spelling.
I happen to have a copy of The British Journal Photographic Almanac and Photographer's Daily Companion 1924 with which is incorporated the "Year Book of Photography and Amateurs Guide" and "The Photographic Annual (Figures, Facts and Formulae of Photography)" - to give the full title from its cover. I looked through that and could only find the spelling lens.
That might be an editorial policy but it doesn't help my presumption of archaic usage. Maybe I should start spellling it lens. I think the only authority that would settle it, though, would be a full Oxford dictionary which includes alternative spellings and cites quotes from the first known printed usage.
Regards,
Murray
Nikolai Sklobovsky
New member
Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Lenseth...
Vivek Khanzode
New member
Actually. I think 'lense' is just a alternate spelling of 'lens'. I haven't consulted any dictionaries (as of yet), but I remember that in high school physics textbooks, we always used the 'lensE' spelling. Somewhere along the line, the 'E' dropped off!!
As far as I can recall, I think the 'lens' spelling is more common.
This is in a way similar to the word 'momentarily' which has quite different meanings in the USA vs. the rest of the world.
-- V
-- V
As far as I can recall, I think the 'lens' spelling is more common.
This is in a way similar to the word 'momentarily' which has quite different meanings in the USA vs. the rest of the world.
-- V
-- V