"i" before "e" except after "c"

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Jun 24, 2009, at 10:27 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

>
> On Jun 23, 2009, at 9:41 PM, Pauline Bryant wrote:
>>> ...
>>>> The rule works pretty well if you were taught the whole rule:
>>>>
>>>> i before e
>>>> except after c
>>>> when the sound is ee. .....(That sound is [i] or ~ee.)
>>>>
>>>> It's the last line that makes the rule work.
>
> I don't understand this last line.

it's just badly formulated.  it should go something like:

(1) I+E Rule, British Version: When the letters I and E are used
together as a spelling for the pronunciation /i/, then it's I before E
except after C (in which case it's E before I).

this version has fewer exceptions than the usual american version, but
that's because its coverage is narrower: it's restricted only to
spellings for /i/, and gives no guidance for spellings for other vowels.

and that makes pronunciation relevant.  this version is intended for
british speakers for whom the standard pronunciation for EITHER and
NEITHER has /ai/, the standard pronunciation for LEISURE has /E/, and
the standard pronunciation for SHEIKH has /e/; for such speakers, the
rule says nothing about how these words are spelled.

for speakers (like a great many americans) who have /i/ in some or all
of these words, though, this version says (incorrectly) that the
spelling is IE, and so does the unamended "american" version of the
rule.  exceptions must be listed.

i've read a fair number of discussions about the british version of
the rule, many of them seriously confused.  what's clear is that you
can't just "complete" by adding an "otherwise" clause:

(2) Amendment to (1): Otherwise, it's E before I.

this treats the exceptions to the american version as instances of a
subregularity calling for the spelling EI, but now there's a different
set of exceptions to be listed.

arnold

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