Linguists to Canadian PM: Drop the British Spellings

Canada's new prime minister is getting a lesson in spelling from the country's language experts. A group of editors and linguists has urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to abandon British spellings in official documents and return to standard Canadian English, which they say has long been the norm in government communications, the BBC reports. In an open letter dated Dec. 11, they flagged recent uses of "globalisation" instead of "globalization," "utilisation" instead of "utilization," and "catalyse" instead of "catalyze" in materials from Carney's office: the November budget and an October news release after his visit to Washington, DC. The National Post had previously reported on other Britishisms, like "organise," "harmonise," "specialise," and "recognise," arguing the PM has been trying to "Europeanize" Canada.

The signatories—Editors Canada, four linguistics professors, and the editor-in-chief of the Canadian English Dictionary—argue that sticking to Canadian spelling is about more than tidy copy. It reflects "national history, identity, and pride," they write, and includes "global influences and cultures from around the world represented in our population, as well as containing words and phrases from Indigenous languages." Canadian English blends British and American influences—favoring "colour" over "color," for instance, but also "tire" instead of "tyre"—and includes homegrown terms like "toque" (a winter hat) and "washroom" instead of bathroom or loo. Shifting official documents toward another standard, they say, risks muddying that compromise and confusing people, the CBC reports.

One signatory, University of British Columbia professor Stefan Dollinger, told the BBC the change feels like "walk[ing] the clock back by half-a-century or more," given Canada's move away from its colonial past. Editors Canada president Kaitlin Littlechild said it remains unclear whether the British spellings stem from confusion or a deliberate policy. Another linguist, University of Toronto professor JK Chambers, suggested Carney's years in Britain—where he served as governor of the Bank of England—may have influenced his choices, joking that the prime minister has "picked up some pretensions" but at least has not started writing "gaol" for "jail." Carney's office has not yet commented.