Substance discovered by folks that called it alum or aluminum for literally five centuries then the Brits come galloping in to colonize the accepted name then try to look down on everyone else
this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2025
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Then they stole all their ancient artefacts to put in their own museums.
We canadians also say Aluminum and I would like to be represented in this comic as a target of mockery alongside the US thank you.
ITT a bunch of weird pedantic nerds that hate language and don't read enough books.
I will make a conscious effort now that I know about this issue and also I'm just commenting because this post has that glorious Bottle of Water response and I want it in my comment history to find easier later.
Am I the only one who finds differences in american vs british english cool, instead of a reason to be a dick
Let's table that discussion.
Tap for spoiler
The meanings of "table" as a verb in US vs UK parliamentary usage are literally opposites. With the US meaning being to stop discussing or put aside for later, while the UK version means to begin discussing.
This actually caused confusion during allied meetings in WWII.
Aluminium is not the -ium of alumin
Aluminium is the genericitation of aluminum.
The actual -ium is of alum. The original name is alumium.
Aluminum is a modification of alumiun, not aluminium
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Always find it funny how the French and British traditionally hate on each other but the British will defend to the death the stupid French shit we stole for our language
the amount of times I've seen people get pissed off at the American English removal of the useless "u" is actually fucking silly
The English 'stole' words from the French in the same way half the European world 'stole' Roman roads, words, and customs.
They were colonised by the Normans you silly codswallop. The British retain French words because they were forced on them by the aristocracy a thousand years ago.
I remember the battle of Hastings like it was yesterday.
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I'm gonna take this chance to air my personal grievance with "Iodine", which is commonly pronounced (in the US at least) "aye-o-dine", but if we look at all of the other halogen, their "-ine" ending is pronounced "-een", and therefore iodine should clearly be pronounced "aye-o-deen".
I'm English and have always pronounced it as aye-o-deen and the use of dine annoys me unreasonably.
Iodinium
Go and get some platinium and if you want to go old fashioned you may like aurium.
The five syllable elements are all weird radioactive things. If Al has five syllables it might make my beer can radioactive or poisonous. Better keep the syllable count on Al to four or less like all of the other normal elements.
If you hate Americans because of this, of all things, then you're going to lose your mind when you find out about everything that's happened this year.
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Pronounce 'bottle of water' right now OP
Edit: I changed the recording a little bit.
Edit 2: I find it funny how I've posted my voice a bunch in the past and yet fuckin' this is what has people messaging me thirsting over my voice. Friendly reminder. I'm gay. And now scared.
You're gay and canadian? Notice me, senpai!
>.>
<.<
You did drop the t to a glottal stop in your last glass of water, though, just saying! :P
I am indeed gay and I am indeed Canadian. Newfie specifically. I just suppress the fuck out of my accent.
Also it does sound like a glottal stop in the last one but only if the volume is lower. If you increase the volume a bit you'll hear the T. I had to check for myself to be honest. Was listening to it quietly at the stop and "WAIT WAIT WAIT" before turning the volume up and "Ah okay."
Damnit! My secret-keeping low volume speakers have foiled me again!
You have my deepest sympathies.
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Sorry, I'm siding with my American compatriots on this one. Yours sounds silly.
"Aluminium" sounds like something a fantasy writer would call aluminum in their novel just to make it sound magical.
We say it the original correct way in the US. Other countries changed it for some reason. The guy that discovered it in 1808, Sir Humphrey Davy named it "Alumium" which based on Alumen (Latin for bitter salt)but quickly changed it to "Aluminum". I swear I remember reading that he kept getting shit on by the science community and his friends for naming a metal "bitter salt" in Latin ... but can't find a reference.
His colleagues in Britain did mess with him and start using the name "Aluminium" ... exactly because it ended in "ium" like ALL the other elements (Oxygenium, Carbonium, Ironium, Zincium, Nitrogenium, and the like). They US just kept the name the discoverer wanted instead of giving into those British asshats that just wanted to troll Sir Davy.
He also isolated Magnesium and named it "magnium", but later changed to magnesium. The guy just couldnt settle on names. Again, in my version of reality it is because his friends kept giving him shit.
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You should just be happy that we aren't all still calling it "tin."
I dunno, I still frequently hear the term "tin can" used to refer to aluminum cans.
And "tin foil"
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