Another poll

[wellinghall]

[Poll #1759225]

Comments

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

According to the OED 'infeasible' is a correct alternative, but is 'now rare'. They aren't kidding. I've never actually seen it.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

"Daft?" ;)

If infeasible is "now rare" how old am I? Because it wasn't rare when it was growing up. (Clue: not very)

Is unfeasible one of those creeping Americanisms that has taken over? (n.b. Nothing wrong with American English - in America. Fortunately my supervisor agrees and therefore likes my tendency to pedantically make sure all the scientific words (well, and all the rest, but specifically those) are in their British form. Very annoyingly the computers in the department keep changing my esses to zeds and all manner of annoyances (default can't be changed, by us at any rate) - the set-up was done by an egit. I do think this is unfair especially to those with dyslexia or English as a second language because it spoils their work and are less likely to pick up the true British English spellings.

Anyway I have to go to a conference now. Bye!

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

First reference for 'unfeasible' is the state papers of Henry VIII, so hardly 'American.' First reference for 'infeasible' is the same, only a few years later. 1533 as opposed to 1527.

Oh, and checking the references on the net, it seems that 'infeasible' is actually more used by Americans...

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Fair enough ;)

(Although more generally some words do migrate while being superceded at their original location...and then migrate back later.)

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

I like pedantry, and I generally agree with the spirit of a lot of what you are expressing here. However, of course I now have to be pedantic! I must take issue with "true British English spellings" - I use the Oxford form of British English, the language as enshrined in the OED and OUP publications, and that uses -ize rather than -ise for most words of that ilk (it comes from a Greek root -izein (transliterated as I can't code for Greek font of the top of my head.))

Hope the conference was good!

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I know it does, therefore where -ize is the usual form (and I mean going back more than c. 5 mins) I'm happy to use it :D

But lots of the -ize endings were originally -ise (within my lifetime, which isn't ALL that long!), and I like to keep to -ise where this was the case.

I also like keeping the oe and ae in words that can now correctly be spelled with the o or a omitted.

I agree that many newer variants are certainly not 'wrong' and I'm all in favour of new words, for example, but yet, I like to keep to the older spellings of my youth.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Inconceivable!

:-)

[emperor]

The OED has both; I think I tend to use infeasible...

[arda-unmarred.livejournal.com]

I have never heard 'infeasible' in my life, whereas I hear/see 'unfeasible' every day. I'd be very curious to know where and by whom 'infeasible' is actually used.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

By me? ;)

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

I use it, in the US. But I am 100X more likely to say that something is "not feasible."

[bunn.livejournal.com]

'Feasible' is a very silly word. It looks like a cross between a flea and weasel and it makes a noise as if you are taking the top off a bottle of bubbles.

I say either 'Can do that' or 'Can't do that'. If something is technically possible but too expensive, then I say that.

'Feasible' indeed. Bah.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Feasibles are clearly a type of creature invented by Oliver Postgate. Hopefully they're not sure as terrifying as the Pogles.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

For what it is worth, from the OED

unˈfeasible, adj.

(un- prefix1 7, 5b.)

1527 in State Papers Henry VIII (1830) I. 247 As the discripcion‥shulde be to tedious‥to rede, so the explicacion therof shulde be unfaysible unto me.
1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xviii. ccxix. 363 But seeing this unfeasible, the sight Redoubled her compassionate sorrows weight.
1658 G. Starkey Natures Explic. 145 This Logick would make almost all Mechanicks to be impossible, if what ever you cannot do must straight be unfecible.
1672 O. Walker Of Educ. i. v. 36 Harshnes is discovered in‥enjoyning things in themselves too difficult, unfesible, and unsupportable.
1804 H. T. Colebrooke Remarks Husbandry & Commerce Bengal (new ed.) 35 Circumstances that render it unfeasible to enter these fields to select the ripe plants, without damaging the rest.
1886 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 12 June 1142/2 The use‥is doubtless charming in theory,‥but, in practice, it is unfeasible.


infeasible, adj.

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈfiːzəb(ə)l/
Forms: Also 15 -faisible, 16 -fesible, -fe(a)cible, 16–18 -feasable.
Etymology: < in- prefix3 + feasible adj. Compare French infaisable (17th cent. in Hatzfeld & Darmesteter).(Show Less)

Now rare. (My bolding)

Incapable of being accomplished or carried out; impracticable, impossible.

1533 in State Papers Henry VIII (1849) VII. 497 Ye shall say that ye remember ye herd Hym say oones, He wold neuer conclude that mariage, but to do Us good, whiche is nowe infaisible.
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xii. 135 Which secrets, although extreamly difficult, and tantum non infesible, yet are they not impossible.
1661 J. Glanvill Vanity of Dogmatizing xii. 109 This is so difficult; and‥so almost infeasable.
1678 S. Butler Hudibras iii. iii. 216 Therefore I hold no course s' infesible As this of force to win the Jesabel.
1704 N. N. tr. T. Boccalini Lett. from Apollo i. 194 Judging the Attempt infeasable.
1827 H. Hallam Constit. Hist. Eng. II. xiv. 416 Designs which the rising spirit of the nation rendered utterly infeasible.
1881 19th Cent. No. 48. 239 They pronounced it not only infeasible, but of very doubtful benefit, even could it be carried out.

[arda-unmarred.livejournal.com]

If you use the Google ngrams viewer http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/ to plot the use of both words over time (in British English, American English, etc., etc.), you get some very interesting results. To my amazement, 'infeasible' wins almost every time.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Just because google agrees with me for once doesn't mean I will like it any better ;)

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

"Impractical"

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

"not feasible"?
;-)