[Aspell-user] Re: How to get a word (gauge) added to the dictionary?

[Mark Plaksin]

Brian Nelson <address@hidden> writes:

>> "gauge" is not in the English dictionary.  A request to add it went to
>> aspell-devel a while back but there were no replies.  Ironically, "gauger"
>> *is* in there :)
>
> "gauge" is there, but it's considered the British spelling.  "gage" is
> the American spelling, apparently.

But it's not :)  That is, I have *never* seen "gage" used by any
Americans.  I polled 5 people in my office and none of them had ever
heard of "gage."

m-w.com has this as their main entry for "gage":
  Function: noun
  Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, of Germanic origin; akin to
  Old High German wetti pledge -- more at WED
  1: a token of defiance; specifically : a glove or cap cast on the ground
  to be taken up by an opponent as a pledge of combat
  2: something deposited as a pledge of performance

and this as their main entry for "gauge":
  Function: noun
  Etymology: Middle English gauge, from Old North French
  1a: a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or
  system: as (1) : the distance between the rails of a railroad (2) : the
  size of a shotgun barrel's inner diameter nominally expressed as the number
  of lead balls each just fitting that diameter required to make a pound <a
  12-gauge shotgun>

Can the English dictionary be changed to include the spelling we expect?

Thanks!