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This question is Not Answered
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ecossais
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731959
Sat, 16 May 09 12:59 AM
Hi! I've noticed that in the infinitive form of verbs usually f, l, k(in ck), s, z are doubled in the end. I don't mean doubling when you add -ing or -ed. Why other consonant letters(b,d,g,n,m,p,r,t,v) are not doubled (except add, ebb, inn)? Can anybody explain me? Are there historical or etymological reasons of doubling only these letters? Or is it just a written convention or tradition? So I suspect that v isn't doubled not to confuse with w. J isn't because there is a convention to write -dge or -ge in the end. But why not b,d,g,n,m,p,r,t? I've also found that some words with doubling came from French or other foreign languages where these letters were doubled(for example, bluff from Dutch bluffen). Or in an Old English word the letters were doubled so in a Modern English one also. But sometimes an original word was written with one letter but in Modern English it became doubled (for example, Old English mylen became modern mill). And vice versa: for example, Latin admittere became admit. So why? I haven't found any scientific explanation of this phenomena in the web or books. Maybe you know? Have you any suggestion?
Joined on
Thu, May 7 2009
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AlpheccaStars
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732122
Sat, 16 May 09 03:09 AM
It is just convention. English spelling is not 100% consistent or regular. There have been many attempts at spelling reform, but none so far has gained any traction. There is no "academy" for English, as there can be for other languages. The convention may be based on the origins of the words in Latin, Greek, Germanic, or others such as Old French.
That being said, though, I tried to generalize a phonetic rule that fits. S and Z are voiced/unvoiced equivalents, and L, F, S, Z are all continuants. M, N are continuants, but they are also nasals.
ck cannot be considered a doubling, it is a digraph, an alternate spelling of the K sound. There are no verbs (at least common ones) ending in J or V. When a verb ends in W, I suspect it is not ending in a consonant sound, but a vowel sound, as in hew or show.
So we can pose a hypthosis that stops and nasals are not doubled, but continuants are.
R is a continuant, and is an exception, but there are a few examples where R is doubled at the end of a verb (purr, deburr, hurr (obsolete) ).
There are also a few verbs ending in doubled "stop" consonants besides the ones you have listed (ebb and add) for example:
boycott butt jagg (alternate spelling: jag)
Note: Inn is a noun, not a verb.
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ecossais
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732211
Sat, 16 May 09 04:15 AM
Thank you very much! How could I ignore the fact that all of these letters represent continuants? Yeah, your hypothesis is very, very probable. Thank you again, you've cleared it up for me.
P.S. As to your note. You are absolutely right but I've found inn as a verb in the Oxford dictionary. Although it is an obsolete word and came from the noun inn.
Here is the full definition
INN, verb
Now rare. OE.
[from the noun.]
1. verb trans. Lodge, house, find accommodation for. OE.
2. verb intrans. Lodge, find accommodation, stay. LME.
b. Of a coach etc.: stop at an inn. M18.”
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CalifJim
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735532
Mon, 18 May 09 07:53 AM
 ecossais“except add, ebb, inn”
These are one-syllable content words that begin with a vowel. I think that, psychologically perhaps, we like content words (nouns, verbs, etc., rather than determiners, prepositions, and conjunctions) to have at least three letters.
add, ebb, egg, inn, odd
But an, in, at, as, if, on, us
If there were nouns, verbs, or adjectives that rhymed with up, at, ib, or ud, for example, they would most likely be spelled upp, att, ibb, and udd.
Only a few very specialized one-syllable content words that begin with a vowel have only two letters: em, en, id, ar, ...
As mentioned above, fricatives are generally doubled regardless: off, doff, miss, jazz.
v has a special history related to French influence on English.
CJ
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California
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22,128
"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche
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