[Jon&Candy]

I'm confused: Whenever I type "emigrated" into Microsoft Word, the grammar checker underlines it and suggests "immigrated" instead.

When I was in the UK, I thought it was correct to refer to me as emigrating to New Zealand. Now that I'm in NZ, I a little more confused. Should I say I have immigrated to NZ, immigrated from the UK or emigrated to NZ?

I'm sure none of this really matters, but I'm a bit of a pedant and I want to get things right! :confused:

[Derv]

From the UK, you emigrated from the UK to NZ and were an emigrant. Here in NZ, you are an immigrant and so immigrated to NZ from the UK. I think it depends where you are speaking from which word you use. That's my understanding anyway. (I'm a bit of a pedant too)

And I assume that Microsoft Word speaks American English which is different from English English on many things, possibly including this one.

[Carol]

And it doesn't help that when you set foot on NZ soil - you need to start pronouncing your e 's as i 's!

lol

[slider]

I'm confused: Whenever I type "emigrated" into Microsoft Word, the grammar checker underlines it and suggests "immigrated" instead.

When I was in the UK, I thought it was correct to refer to me as emigrating to New Zealand. Now that I'm in NZ, I a little more confused. Should I say I have immigrated to NZ, immigrated from the UK or emigrated to NZ?

I'm sure none of this really matters, but I'm a bit of a pedant and I want to get things right! :confused:

I also believe that you are gramatically correct. I have just tried keying both "I emigrated to" and "I immigrated to" into MS Word (2002) and it is happy with both. My language checker is set to UK English.
Microsoft huh :roll

[JandM]

The 'e-' prefix implies going out, and the 'im-' one coming in (from Latin), so Derv is quite right to say it depends where you're speaking about, and from.

Should I say I have immigrated to NZ, immigrated from the UK or emigrated to NZ?Yes! All of those. It just depends what the main emphasis of what you're saying is at that time - going out of one country or coming into the other.

[dilanium]

This is the same in American English too. Microsoft Word doesn't know about people leaving countries because it's based in America, and as most corporations in America they figure everything is great here and figure that no one is leaving and therefore just decided to get rid of the word 'emigrate'.

[yossarian]

This is the same in American English too. Microsoft Word doesn't know about people leaving countries because it's based in America, and as most corporations in America they figure everything is great here and figure that no one is leaving and therefore just decided to get rid of the word 'emigrate'.

haha. witty.

[M-Squared]

This is the same in American English too. Microsoft Word doesn't know about people leaving countries because it's based in America, and as most corporations in America they figure everything is great here and figure that no one is leaving and therefore just decided to get rid of the word 'emigrate'.

:laugh Little green squares for that one! :laugh

[lockstock]

It's not semantics it's our Latin based English language. 'Em-' means away from and 'Im' means into. So you emigrate away from your original country to another country but you immigrate into a new country. Affixes and suffixes and all that. And it depends where you are as to what you say.


Grateful thanks to the late Miss Furze, headmistress, Bridgwater Grammar School for Girls (now a housing estate)

[Georgebulldog]

And it doesn't help that when you set foot on NZ soil - you need to start pronouncing your e 's as i 's!

lol

:laugh:D
I've found myself singing in a Kiwi accent at my daughters music class when we sing hello to everyone, especially when we say hello to Joanna (Joenna), I don't want my Rebecca to become a Rebicca :wah

Great post I had wondered but just thought it was most likely my bad english (english english that is :))

[icemaiden]

You think all that is confusing? You should try teaching English to 14 year olds who think they don't need to learn English "coz they no how to speek and right it alredy"!!! Little darlings. (Before you throw your hands up in horror, the spelling is theirs.)

[dharder]

It's not semantics it's our Latin based English language. 'Em-' means away from and 'Im' means into.

It is just the 'e-' that denotes the 'from' or 'away' or 'out of', not the 'em-'. 'E' is a form of 'ex-'.

Sorry, couldn't help it, but that Latin course I suffered through (and suffer I did) at university must be good for something, surely. :)

Daniela

[JandM]

Please, miss, please, miss, I already said this and got totally overlooked.:( I'll get me coat....

[dharder]

Please, miss, please, miss, I already said this and got totally overlooked.:( I'll get me coat....

Sorry!

That is a bit how I'm feeling in my house most of the time (the kids ignoring me)... :)

Daniela

[Rusty]

It's not semantics it's our Latin based English language. 'Em-' means away from and 'Im' means into. So you emigrate away from your original country to another country but you immigrate into a new country. Affixes and suffixes and all that. And it depends where you are as to what you say.


Grateful thanks to the late Miss Furze, headmistress, Bridgwater Grammar School for Girls (now a housing estate)

OK, but a what point on the journey over does it change - 1/2 way? ;):exit

[lockstock]

OK, but a what point on the journey over does it change - 1/2 way? ;):exit

Exactly! with or without an 'm'!

[JandM]

OK, but a what point on the journey over does it change - 1/2 way?

That's the point at which you're 'grating'!:laugh:p

[zardell]

That's the point at which you're 'grating'!:laugh:p



:D

Julie

xx

[zardell]

Just had a thought...

If 'e' as in 'exit' means out, how come 'entrance' means in?

Maybe the Kiwis are right to pronounce it 'intrance' after all.

:laugh:laugh:laugh

Julie

xx

[Rusty]

Just had a thought...

If 'e' as in 'exit' means out, how come 'entrance' means in?

Maybe the Kiwis are right to pronounce it 'intrance' after all.

Julie

xx

:clap:clap:clap:clap

Very clever.

[JandM]

Just had a thought...

If 'e' as in 'exit' means out, how come 'entrance' means in?

Maybe the Kiwis are right to pronounce it 'intrance' after all.

:laugh:laugh:laugh

Julie

xx

You're not far out (ho ho)!

English 'entrance' comes from Old French 'entrer', to enter (same as modern French, actually). Old French 'entrer' comes from Latin 'intrare', to enter, which incorporates 'intra', in or inside.

[zardell]

You're not far out (ho ho)!

English 'entrance' comes from Old French 'entrer', to enter (same as modern French, actually). Old French 'entrer' comes from Latin 'intrare', to enter, which incorporates 'intra', in or inside.





:cheers for that.


I've always found the English language fascinating.

How I wish I had pursued that passion it in my youth.

Julie

xx

[Belmont Babes]

Me too, well I didn't have a passion for English in my youth, was too passionate about other things at that time but won't go into that.

Just been on a school trip with my Son's class to Karapiro Dam. Very interesting but clear this one up for me: There was a sign at the desk that said "INQUIRIES". In the Uk pretty sure this would of been "ENQUIRIES"? Thanks Teachers

[Carol]

Thanks Teachers

Inquire: An alternate form of enquire - mainly used in sense of "to ask a question."


:nice1

[Sam B]

inquire/enquire - interchangeable

[icemaiden]

Add to the list - dispatch / despatch. The joys of the English language!

[Carol]

Add to the list - dispatch / despatch. The joys of the English language!

Too true!