NA F-86 Sabre, not Saber!

[JDK]

Why did North American Aviation choose to spell 'Sabre' the British English way, not the American? (I'm presuming the sword has always been a Saber in modern American usage...)

Any evidence as well as opinion welcome!

(And, I note Buick also chose '-re' on the LeSabre.)

[tom d. friedman]

your the limey bloke!! you tell us bloody yanks!!

[JDK]

your the limey bloke!! you tell us bloody yanks!!

About 12,000 miles from the Limeys, and I thought it reasonable to ask you why you chose their spelling.

[Fouga23]

About 12,000 miles from the Limeys,)

Don't you love your Queen? :p

[JDK]

About 12,000 miles from the Limeys,)

Don't you love your Queen? :p

Not really. Not my kind of person for a number of reasons we won't go into here.

Meanwhile, anyone got any on topic input?

[CAPFlyer]

Because it's named after the sword (who's backcurve can be related to the swept winds of the Sabre) and is more commonly spelled with the -re instead of -er.

Doing some reading on the "reasoning" behind the difference, it seems to me that with "American English", a lot of the difference comes from first wanting to distinguish the two in writing (practical use - when reading text, there are differences in inflection of some words, and in American English some words have different meetings from the spelling difference - like calibre and caliber), and secondly American English incorporates more Germanic and French words, thus some of the spelling differences acknowledge those heritages of the words in American English usage.

[Jesse C.]

Maybe they where just trying to be fancy.

You know, like you Royals!

[tom d. friedman]

your the limey bloke!! you tell us bloody yanks!!

About 12,000 miles from the Limeys, and I thought it reasonable to ask you why you chose their spelling.

james, you are still under the crown, it's mileage knows no bounds!!....crikey!!! i'm a poet & didn't know it.... blimey!!

[Randy Haskin]

Honestly, I've never seen the "weapon" ever spelled anything other than "sabre".

[Holedigger]

And Buick followed up with the LeSabre, so is that American, English or French???

[JDK]

Honestly, I've never seen the "weapon" ever spelled anything other than "sabre".

According to the Webster dictionary and the other American English sources I've checked, the Amereican version - given first in all cases is Saber - for the weapon.

A search on WIX throws up 30 (+ this one) threads where someone, usually an American has spelled it Saber, including the NAA aircraft.

I'd be interested in any spellings presented in official US military documentation relating to the sword - as in dress uniform or the like.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saber

Webster Online:
Main Entry: 1sa·ber
Variant(s): or sa·bre \ˈsā-bər\
Function: noun
Etymology: French sabre, modification of German dial. Sabel, from Middle High German, probably of Slavic origin; akin to Russian sablya saber
Date: 1680

1 : a cavalry sword with a curved blade, thick back, and guard
2 a : a light fencing or dueling sword having an arched guard that covers the back of the hand and a tapering flexible blade with a full cutting edge along one side and a partial cutting edge on the back at the tip — compare épée, foil b : the sport of fencing with the saber

[JDK]

Because it's named after the sword (who's backcurve can be related to the swept winds of the Sabre) and is more commonly spelled with the -re instead of -er.

Not 'commonly', really. There are no 'rules' for American or British English inscribe anywhere, but British English always gives the -re spelling, while all the American sources I've checked give the '-er' as the usual or correct American usage, but clearly lots of American's don't do so. As far as I can see, the American use of 'Saber' is usually a continuation of the other '-er' uses they're used to, while those that use 'sabre' regularly stick to the 'imported' spelling.

Doing some reading on the "reasoning" behind the difference, it seems to me that with "American English", a lot of the difference comes from first wanting to distinguish the two in writing (practical use - when reading text, there are differences in inflection of some words, and in American English some words have different meetings from the spelling difference - like calibre and caliber)

Thanks, but there's some assumptions there. The switch to 'er' endings in American English is a sensible regularisation to follow pronunciation as it is (accent and historical diversion aside) on both sides of that ocean. British English has just stuck more to their imported French spellings, spelling regularisation being rare in British English. They remain the same words, meaning and basic (unaccented) pronunciation. (Just like 'route'.)

Spelling variation to follow pronunciation with these two (and the other Englishes) is so rare I can't think of an example. Hence the international confusions arising.

All the other words are the same, excepting calibre and caliber, which are actually words with different meanings - homonyms, like there and their, and the classic typo it's for its. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homonym

and secondly American English incorporates more Germanic and French words, thus some of the spelling differences acknowledge those heritages of the words in American English usage.

It's a thorny area to claim American English has more Germanic and French than British English; depends how you count it... Certainly Br English is full of those imports, having been taking them for centuries longer, including many which people think are English, now, including the French! Computer has a French root, yet l'Académie française doesn't want it used in French because it's English...)

Be that as it may, the '-er' ending is an American English change to follow English pronunciation rules of usually French or Romance language words - i.e. the opposite to 'acknowledging the heritage'.

Back to the case of the North American Aviation aircraft (with relief for some I'm sure) I can only conclude that the use of 'saber' in US usage is mostly a lexicographer's desire and myth, following a trend towards such spelling, not usually applied to this word, and, as illustrated by 'LeSabre' you can sell more because of the 'exotic' name.

As at the start, any evidence welcome. I've only ever seen 'Sabre' in official or authoritative US documentation for the aircraft, and not researched useage in the US military for the sword. Input welcome.

Regards,

[Ztex]

Interesting tidbit...but nothing in the way of evidence to back it up....

Deliveries to the USAF in three initial batches began in February of 1949 and the name designator of "Sabre" was officially bestowed to the system after a naming contest was held.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft ... aft_id=120

[JBoyle]

(And, I note Buick also chose '-re' on the LeSabre.)

JDK

The LeSabre was originally a Buick concept car (called show car or dream car back then) and was named after the F-86...because it had "jet-like" design features. Like a lot of concept car names, it was recycled for use on a production model.
Another GM concept car of the time said it got inspiration from the F-94...but, IIRC I don't think it was the Olds Starfire.

[JDK]

Thanks for the input guys. Looks like an oddity to nail.

I'd REALLY appreciate anyone showing a (modern) US military reference to the sword (in dress uniform?) as 'sabre' or 'saber'.