Make Your Editor Cry: Amature vs. Amateur
Most of the words English stole from the French which have clung to their “-eur” endings are pretty sophisticated, like “grandeur,” “saboteur,” “coiffeur,” “entrepreneur,” and my favorite “restaurateur” (That’s right there is no N in that entire word and go ahead and check my spelling if you like).
Likewise the stolen from the French amateur remains stubbornly amateurish in it’s English spelling unlike words like voyager (orig. voyageur), chaser (orig. chasseur), and tailor (orig. tailleur) for example. Only a brand new logophile or apprentice sesquipedalian would spell this word “amature.” It would be a rookie mistake worthy of the label newb.
Examples:
Incorrect:
It's not as if Sherlock was an amature at this sleuthing business.
Even though I am an amature singer, I hope to make a career out of it one day.
Correct:
It's not as if Sherlock was an amateur at this sleuthing business.
Even though I am an amateur singer, I hope to make a career out of it one day.
Gregg Bridgeman is the Editor-in-Chief at Olivia Kimbrell Press. He is husband to best-selling Christian author Hallee Bridgeman and parent to three. He continues to proudly serve in the US Armed Forces and has done so in either an active or reserve capacity for more than twenty years as an airborne and air assault qualified paratrooper, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Most importantly, he was ordained in October of 2001 after surrendering his life to Christ decades earlier.
