The it's not/isn't thread reminded me of one of my pet peeves. That is, preventative vs. preventive.

Websters states:

Quote:

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Main Entry: pre·ven·ta·tive
Pronunciation: -'ven-t&-tiv
Function: adjective or noun
: PREVENTIVE

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So, one is directed to:

Quote:

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Main Entry: 1pre·ven·tive
Pronunciation: -'ven-tiv
Function: noun
: something that prevents; especially : something used to prevent disease

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I ask, why preventative? I have always used the word preventive and in my humble opinion, preventative is in the dictionary because it has so often (in my opinion) been used incorrectly. You know, if you say it often (or of-ten) enough then it becomes valid.

I agree: preventive is much the better form. The Oxford English Dictionary calls it "the preferable form" and Chambers describes preventative as "an irregular formation." I always thought that preventative was a modern nuisance. but according to the OED it goes back more than three centuries: there's even a quotation from Daniel Defoe about "a preventative medicine." Maybe Defoe would have got it right if his work as a Government spy had brought him into contact with Her Majesty's Customs: in that department the men who searched ships' holds and passengers' suitcases were officially called Preventive Officers until quite recently.

I always thought that preventive was used by people who thought it was right and didn't know it was preventative. Much the same as specific and pacific.

Now it looks as though I may have been wrong.

Yes, this has bothered me for a long time!

The word I'm not sure about is 'regularly'. That's the way it's spelt but sometimes people pronounce it reg-u-lee, without the 'lar' sound. Should it be pronounced reg-u-lar-ly or is the other way fine?

I always pronounce it with the 'lar' sound.
And I grew up with both 'preventative' and 'preventive' using the first as a noun and the second as an adjective.
"He's taking his coat as a preventative." and "Taking Vitamin C is a preventive measure."

I had never heard of the word 'preventive' before I read this post- 'preventative' has always been an adjective to me. (And I call myself a wordsmith.. geez)

I honestly never noticed the difference! I mean preventative measures sounds normal to me, but in French it's got that many syllables.

The pronunciation of regular and nuclear, well, we'd have to ask Dubya his opinion. I don't think his predecessors from the Southern states had as much accent as he does on those types of words.


I know I heard that term used in French when someone had a wee dram, a titre preventatif.

Ooops edited to put that I had it wrong in French! Ooops...I guess I'm the one who says it wrong!