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RSSWether, Weather, Whether
Wether is a prime example of a word that will slip past the spell check. It is easily confused with two of its homonyms, whether and weather. Flying fingers find it easy to miss the single letter that separates them. Unless you’re a farmer, you might not even know that wether is either a:
male sheep or ram (the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology traces its roots to Old English, Old High German, Old Norse and Goth)
or a:
castrated ram or billy goat (according to A Word A Day).
We all know that MS Word can be easily confused, but there’s no need for us to face the same confusion.
Weather, that stuff up there in the sky, is the ‘condition of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, calm or storm, etc’. That’s according to the Oxford Dictionary of Etymology.
Interestingly, when it was first used in Old English in the 12th century, weather always had adverse implications. In the 14th century, the term also referred to the wind direction, and its roots lie in various terms meaning either wind or storm.
Weathering, derived from weather, is the result of exposure to wind and weather.
The frequently misspelled whether is used to introduce a question, often outlining a choice between options. Its roots lie in Old English and Old High German.
Here’s my attempt at using them all in a sentence. The farmer wondered whether the adverse weather had affected his wether.
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Hi! I am one of those who just found this site. I really find this very interesting and informative.
I am not sure if I am on the right post to post a comment. But I hope somenone here can differentiate the word “advise” and advice” and how they should be used in a sentence. Though I know that there is no such thing as an advicer, but rather adviser. Both words seem to have the same meaning, that is, to give tips, am I right?
Thanks and I am proud to be included in one of your thousands of subscribers.
My mum often said to me when I was little, ‘A man stood on a hill and wondered, whether The wether would weather The weather or whether The weather the wether would kill.’
I hope that’s correct.
In fact, advise is a verbe: I advise, you advise… and advice is a noun: an advice.
hi,
Well said about the use and meaning of “advise” and “advice”. Man, this site really is cool.
thank you
Weather, whether or wether?
Great advice and first to pop up on G search.
Thanks i may be back.
Correction to my last post: I believe I’d written, “The weather had been forecast…” rather than, “the weather was forecast”. Seems the verbage was her issue wanting to use “forecasted” rather than “forecast”. I don’t believe there is a difference, yet still – the conflict. Whacha think?