[Towertalk] Antennas vs. Antennae and Lightning vs. Lightening

[Lew]

Dear Treasured TowerTalkians,
      I must respond to my esteemed and respected colleague's note 
regarding the apparent supercilious usage of certain terms peculiar to 
Amateur Radio. W0UN has my utmost respect as a builder, theoretician and 
practitioner of the radio arts. His concerns about "lightning vs 
lightening" and the misuse of "forte" is appreciated and correct in my 
part of the world.
     Unfortunately the Sept. 2002 issue of QST hasn't made its way to 
the west coast yet, so I can't comment upon K0OVQ's concerns regarding 
"antennae vs antennas". I must object, however when John dons his 
linguist lid and rails against a perfectly acceptable use of the term 
"antennae" as applied to the plural of antenna.

ANTENNA (pl. -tennae, pr. -ten-ee, -tennas) 1) one of a pair of flexible 
sensitive projections on the heads of insects, crustaceans, etc., a 
feeler 2) wire(s) or rod(s) used to transmit or receive radio waves, an 
aerial.

     Definition from The Oxford American Dictionary, Heald Colleges 
Edition 1980

     I can find no notations confining one particular spelling to one 
definition over another. In fact since most Amateur Radio Operators are 
getting rather crusty as we age, the antennae spelling would be much 
more accurate in defining our plural aerials along with those creepy 
things leading the bugs about our abodes.
      Disagreements pertaining to not only the spelling of terms, but 
the pronunciations of them are generally filled with hilarity and mirth. 
The example of how to say the word "hear" is an example. Several 
American dialects say this word so that it rhymes with the word "year".
However this same word "hear", is also pronounced to sound like an 
evolving gastronomical accident and not only is decoded correctly but is 
  expected to sound like that to the locals in certain areas of our country.
      Discussions about such things maintain the rigor needed in any 
field of endeavor, otherwise rigor mortis sets in and we are doomed.
For example perhaps soon "KISS" might be shortened to simply "KS". Is 
this correct usage? Time and practice will tell.

    73 and I remain,
    Lew     W7EW

       KS
     Dr. ("there are no bugs in my antennae") BigGun     W7AT