The Strange Case of the Altered Spelling

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 92940

Carol:
> > For the record, it *ought* to be "Sibyl(l)" to conform with "sibyl"
> > (prophetess) unless the British spelling of that word differs from 
> the
> > American one. (I've recently been told that the British spelling of
> > "artifact" is "artefact," which to my eyes still looks like a typo.)
> 
> 
> Geoff:
> Can I just refer you back to the etymological notes on the name Sybil 
> which I posted in message 92650?

Carol:
I saw that, thanks. Very interesting, but you were referring to the
name and I'm wondering about the British dictionary spelling of the
common noun (spelled "sibyl" in American English). Is it "sybil" in
British English? If so, that would explain the "Sybill" spelling in
the British edition. (And while I'm at it, *is* "artefact" the correct
British spelling or is it just an error?)

Geoff: 
Just in passing, spellings like color, honor, center and the rather 
mixed use of z instead of s look odd to UK eyes.....

Carol:
Blame Noah Webster for that one! He was the first--and last--American
to put through a successful spelling reform, primarily because his was
the first dictionary printed in America. (Apologies to the List Elves
for straying OT.)

<snip my comments on printing history>
> 
> Geoff:
> The Bloomsbury UK editions seem to lack the second set of data. My 
> hardback GOF, for example, lists 10 9 8 7 6.

So it's the sixth printing, but it's the year that's important if
we're going to determine which is the definitive reading for Hagrid's
words in PS/SS chapter one. Yours is 1999, I believe?

Carol