[Muke Tever (Re: [Wiktionary-l] Re: English orthographies) writes:]
Yes, and sometimes the etymology is ignored in the reckoning of correct spelling, thus "island" and not "iland" and "thumb" rather than "thum". Etymology is never a proof of spelling, though it is one of the factors that influences it.
In some cases, e.g. modern Japanese, the spelling, i.e. the kana representation, has been aligned entirely with pronunciation, thus blowing away many etymological influences. This was fought over for 50 years, but finally the radicals triumphed over the conservatives. The old kana system was even more dysfunctional than English spelling.
Jim