[Wikipedia-l] linguistic issues

[Tom Parmenter]

|From: "Nick Tarasen" <nwt at uchicago.edu>
|
|in something that perhaps proves anthere's point.
|
|there's no stated preference for American or British spelling in wikipedia
|English, as far as I can tell, and I've been looking.
|
|Is this true?  I don't mean to start a debate that's been done.  just looking
|for an answer.
|
|The UN, or at least the WHO, uses a sort of hybrid.  Just looking for
|comments.  what about it in names?  (for example, UN programmes are, well,
|programmes).
|
|in any case, thanks for creating wikipedia.  it's a great project,
|and one 
|I'm enjoying participating in.  the bickering on this listhost is a testament
|to the commitments you all make to it.
|
|.nick tarasen (user:nwt)
|

Actually, there is a stated *non-preference* in the [[Wikipedia:Manual
of Style]]:

Spelling Style

For the English Wikipedia, either American or English spelling is
acceptable.  

It is in no way a requirement, but it probably reads better to use
American spellings in articles on American subjects and English
spelling in articles on English subjects.  A reference to "the
American ''labour'' movement" (with a U) or to "''Anglicization''"
(with a Z) may be jarring.  It also may be jarring to find both forms
in a single article.  If the spelling appears in an article name, you
should make a redirect page to accommodate "the other language", as
with [[Aeroplane]] and [[Airplane]].