Bermudan or bermudian?

[Coaster]

In the March 2012 edition of Yachting Monthly Tom Cunliffe mentions 'bermudian' rig. This word seems to be more commonly spelt as 'bermudan'. I understand the description results from the use of 'leg-of-mutton' sails used in Bermuda many years ago.

If something comes from Jamaica we refer to it as Jamaican, not Jamaician. Likewise, Botswanan from Botswana, Costa Rican from Costa Rica, Cuban from Cuba, Kenyan from Kenya and so on. (I've ignored countries with names ending '...ia' as they confuse the issue.)

I'd like to know why there are two spellings for this rig description. It's puzzled me for years. Which one do you prefer?

 

[Romeo]

are you referring to Marconi rig?

 

[prv]

are you referring to Marconi rig?

Refers more to the height of the mast and the way it's stayed, than to the shape of the sail. Because people thought they looked like the then-new Marconi aerials when they first appeared. Though of course it's hard to rig anything except a bermudian sail on a Marconi mast, so the two tend to go together.

Pete

 

[johnalison]

I'd like to know why there are two spellings for this rig description. It's puzzled me for years. Which one do you prefer?

I don't know how it arose, but you can find "Bermudian" quite often in old sailing books, mainly early 20th century. You can also find "spinnaker" spelt "spinaker" and both are technically acceptable. I quite like old spellings and used to spell "show" as "shew", though no-one could tell the difference with my handwriting.

Unfortunately, the old spellings all look unnecessarily quaint today, so I stick to modern, but not Americanised, ones.

 

[Salty John]

If something comes from Jamaica we refer to it as Jamaican, not Jamaician. Likewise, Botswanan from Botswana, Costa Rican from Costa Rica, Cuban from Cuba, Kenyan from Kenya and so on. (I've ignored countries with names ending '...ia' as they confuse the issue.)

I'd like to know why there are two spellings for this rig description. It's puzzled me for years. Which one do you prefer?

You could also argue, however, that something coming from Canada is Canadian, not Canadan, from Florida it's Floridian and from Boston it's Bostonian.
I understand that people from Bermuda are quite insistent that they are Bermudians so that's the term I use on the rare occasion it crops up in conversation.

 

[lustyd]

but not Americanised, ones.

By Americanised, do you mean the original spellings from before we changed them and "frenched them up"? For instance color was correct then became colour thanks to French influence. America had already split by that point and so kept the proper spelling

 

[Romeo]

By Americanised, do you mean the original spellings from before we changed them and "frenched them up"? For instance color was correct then became colour thanks to French influence. America had already split by that point and so kept the proper spelling

Should that be Americanized?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Should that be Americanized?

Only on the wrong side of the Atlantic.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

You could also argue, however, that something coming from Canada is Canadian, not Canadan, from Florida it's Floridian and from Boston it's Bostonian.
I understand that people from Bermuda are quite insistent that they are Bermudians so that's the term I use on the rare occasion it crops up in conversation.

More than quite insistent; Bermudian is the only term to use for everything. I have a SWMBO who is one.

 

[Sybarite]

In the March 2012 edition of Yachting Monthly Tom Cunliffe mentions 'bermudian' rig. This word seems to be more commonly spelt as 'bermudan'. I understand the description results from the use of 'leg-of-mutton' sails used in Bermuda many years ago.

If something comes from Jamaica we refer to it as Jamaican, not Jamaician. Likewise, Botswanan from Botswana, Costa Rican from Costa Rica, Cuban from Cuba, Kenyan from Kenya and so on. (I've ignored countries with names ending '...ia' as they confuse the issue.)

I'd like to know why there are two spellings for this rig description. It's puzzled me for years. Which one do you prefer?

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[Coaster]

What a good source of information this forum is (after weeding out the irrelevant). I have now changed my position and will refer to the rig as bermudian. I hope that the lack of a capital B is acceptable.

 

[haydude]

In the March 2012 edition of Yachting Monthly Tom Cunliffe mentions 'bermudian' rig. This word seems to be more commonly spelt as 'bermudan'. I understand the description results from the use of 'leg-of-mutton' sails used in Bermuda many years ago.

If something comes from Jamaica we refer to it as Jamaican, not Jamaician. Likewise, Botswanan from Botswana, Costa Rican from Costa Rica, Cuban from Cuba, Kenyan from Kenya and so on. (I've ignored countries with names ending '...ia' as they confuse the issue.)

I'd like to know why there are two spellings for this rig description. It's puzzled me for years. Which one do you prefer?

English is an approximative language anyway and most people do not really care.
In any case Bermudian would be the correct Latin derived declension. Bermudan sounds like one of the many simplification brought to English in the spoken language by those many who do not have any grammar or Latin background.

 

[Lakesailor]

However. The designer could call it what he wished and anyone wanting to alter it to fit in with accepted language use would be incorrect.
For instance I could develop a lens for a camera and call it a Hullens lens.
People from Hull could argue it should be called a Hullesian lens.

They would be wrong.

 

[binch]

Islas Bermudas

Bermudas is the old name because they were a group of islands, and way back in the forties when I first went there, they were known as Bermudas in the plural.
When they were (to all intents and purposes) sold to the USA, then American practices crept in.
The Americans tend to mis-spell everything. After all America is named after a man called Amerigo.
We used to wear tailor-made shorts with stiff collar and tie, jacket and knee-length stockings.
I still have my shorts. Are they still worn like that?