This is part of an investigation I've been doing into the use and spelling of
-ize suffix verbs and their spelling (
-ize or
-ise) in British English. For more details, related posts and the methods I've used, see the
-ize / -ise page. For more on the spelling of
-ize verbs in periodicals, see the
Periodicals start page.
This post shows how in one important nineteenth-century magazine the use of s spellings gradually increased towards the middle of the nineteenth century, and how z spellings fought a rearguard battle, only to virtually disappear from its pages for the rest of the century.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine 1817 - 1980
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. Originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, it was founded by publisher William Blackwood as a Tory foil to the Edinburgh Review, which was firmly Liberal. It was one of the nineteenth century's most influential literary magazines, along with its fellow Tory-leaning The Quarterly Review, the Edinburgh Review and the short-lived London Magazine.
It had a lively and combative style, encouraged by Blackwood, who for much of its earlier life was its editor, until his death in 1834.
Main table comparing -ize verbs spelt with a z and with an s.
These figures are taken from looking at individual volumes at Google Books. Below these tables you can find checkable tables for the individual volumes.
We can detect several succeding trends:
- A bit of a mixed bag at the beginning but with z endings a bit ahead
- A gradual shift towards s endings until about 1836
- A sharp move back to z endings, peaking around 1839
- This was followed by a shift back to s in 1846 and early 1947, but with a few z stragglers
- Finally, there appears to have been a definitive move to s some time in 1847, with infintissimal quantities of z endings after that till at least 1870. A quick look at volume from 1926 suggests that this continued for some time.
| -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | total | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation | total |
| Vol 1 1817 |
9 | 30 | 4 | 15 | 58 |
13 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 40 |
| Vol 7 1820 |
9 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 44 |
8 | 14 | 1 | | 23 |
| Vol 14 1823 |
21 | 47 | 8 | 26 | 122 |
2 | 6 | | | 8 |
| Vol 20 1828 |
22 | 53 | 9 | 40 | 124 |
7 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 29 |
| Vol 25 1829 |
11 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 47 |
13 | 32 | 6 | 7 | 58 |
| Vol 33 1833 |
23 | 60 | 12 | 13 | 108 |
21 | 30 | 3 | 25 | 79 |
| Vol 40 1836 |
8 | 45 | 10 | 12 | 55 |
28 | 22 | 3 | 9 | 64 |
| Vol 46 1839 |
17 | 56 | 11 | 14 | 108 |
23 | 41 | 4 | 32 | 100 |
| Vol 50 1841 |
21 | 91 | 18 | 47 | 177 |
14 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 36 |
| Vol 54 1843 |
35 | 76 | 12 | 52 | 175 |
5 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 28 |
| Vol 57 1845 |
23 | 38 | 2 | 28 | 91 |
10 | 10 | 7 | | 27 |
| Vol 60 1846 |
7 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 31 |
31 | 61 | 9 | 39 | 140 |
| Vol 61 1847 |
5 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 27 |
36 | 74 | 7 | 20 | 127 |
| Vol 62 1847 |
| 1 | | | 1 |
37 | 70 | 19 | 28 | 154 |
| Vol 64 1848 |
| | | | 0 |
43 | 97 | 16 | 64 | 200 |
| Vol 81 1857 |
| 2 | 1 | | 3 |
33 | 78 | 12 | 38 | 161 |
| Vol 91 1862 |
| | | | 0 |
43 | 79 | 7 | 36 | 165 |
| Vol 108 1870 |
| | | | 0 |
49 | 73 | 11 | 27 | 160 |
This change is confirmed by search results at the Internet Library of Early Journals, which has a complete run from Volumes 53 - 95. The first table shows Volumes 53 - 61, the bottom table the volumes from Vol 62, when the definitive change seems to have taken place, to Vol 94
Nine volumes 53 - 61
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
10 | 3 | 1 | | 9 | 4 | 2 | |
| authorise |
11 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | | |
| characterise |
13 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 28 | 2 | |
| civilise |
11 | 118 | | 134 | 2 | 27 | 46 | |
| criticise |
3 | 5 | 1 | | 19 | 10 | 7 | |
| monopolise |
4 | 3 | 5 | | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| organise |
9 | 41 | 12 | 62 | 2 | 8 | | 12 |
| realise |
29 | 90 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 25 | 2 | 6 |
| recognise |
25 | 55 | 3 | | 79 | 129 | 15 | |
| sympathise |
19 | 5 | 13 | | 9 | 5 | 1 | |
| totals |
134 | 368 | 52 | 218 |
147 | 246 | 76 | 18 |
- -ize - 772 / 1159 - 66.6%
- -ise - 387 / 1159 - 33.4%
Thirty-three volumes 62 - 94
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
1 | | | | 90 | 40 | 14 | |
| authorise |
| | | | 41 | 174 | 20 | 12 |
| characterise |
| | | | 101 | 229 | 22 | |
| civilise |
| | | 1 | 23 | 907 | 1628 | |
| criticise |
| 2 | | | 134 | 70 | 39 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | 35 | 29 | 10 | |
| organise |
| | | 1 | 87 | 389 | 70 | 502 |
| realise |
| 6 | | | 379 | 530 | 82 | 163 |
| recognise |
3 | | | | 682 | 1082 | 122 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 227 | 37 | 86 | |
| totals |
4 | 8 | | 2 |
1799 | 3387 | 2093 | 677 |
- -ize - 14 / 7970 - 0.18%
- -ise - 7956 / 7970 - 99.82%
A note on printers
The first few volumes appear all to have been printed by Oliver and Boyd of Edinburgh, where Blackwood was based. From at least Vol 10 in 1821, printing was undertaken by James Ballantine and Co, also of Edinburgh, and printers of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels. From Vol 22 in 1827, the printer is listed as Ballantyne and Co, and from 1839 Ballantyne and Hughes, which operated from 1839-1847.
From 1847, the listed printer of Blackwood's Magazine is William Blackwood's own company. Can it really be a coincidence that the very year that Balckwood took over the printing of his magazine, the spelling inconsistencies disappeared almost overnight, and a clear policy of printing with s endings was implemented?
It's also noticeable that the period of greatest volatility 1839-1847, with first a swing to z and then back to s, occurred during the period when the magazine was printed by Ballantyne and Hughes.
It's tempting to draw the conclusion that the printer was equally as important in these changes as the publisher.
The story of recognise
Even when z spellings were dominant, there was a strong tendency to spell the recognise family with an s.
Individual volumes
Vol 1 1817
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
2 | 1 | | | | 1 | | |
| authorise |
| 2 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | | |
| characterise |
1 | 4 | | | 3 | 4 | | |
| civilise |
| 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | | 1 |
| criticise |
| | | | 4 | 3 | | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | | | |
| organise |
| 3 | | 8 | | 2 | | |
| realise |
2 | 7 | | 1 | | 2 | | |
| recognise |
4 | 4 | 1 | | 4 | 8 | 1 | |
| sympathise |
| 2 | 1 | | 3 | 1 | | |
| totals |
9 | 30 | 4 | 15 |
13 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
Vol 7 1820
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | | | | |
| authorise |
1 | 2 | | | | 2 | | |
| characterise |
| 1 | | | 2 | | | |
| civilise |
| 10 | | 7 | | | | |
| criticise |
| | | | | | 1 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | | | |
| organise |
| 2 | | 2 | | | | |
| realise |
1 | 2 | 1 | | 2 | 1 | | |
| recognise |
3 | 2 | | | 4 | 10 | | |
| sympathise |
4 | 2 | 4 | | | 1 | | |
| totals |
9 | 21 | 5 | 9 |
8 | 14 | 1 | |
Volume 14 1823
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
2 | | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| authorise |
2 | 2 | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| characterise |
4 | 8 | | | | 2 | | |
| civilise |
1 | 14 | | 11 | | | | |
| criticise |
1 | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | | | |
| organise |
1 | 2 | | 15 | | | | |
| realise |
2 | 3 | 1 | | | | | |
| recognise |
5 | 15 | 4 | | | 1 | | |
| sympathise |
3 | 1 | | | 1 | | | |
| totals |
21 | 47 | 8 | 26 |
2 | 6 | | |
Vol 20 1826
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
3 | 3 | 1 | | | | | |
| authorise |
1 | 3 | | | | 4 | 2 | |
| characterise |
3 | 4 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | | |
| civilise |
2 | 20 | 1 | 34 | | | | 1 |
| criticise |
1 | | | | | | 1 | |
| monopolise |
1 | 3 | | | | 2 | 2 | |
| organise |
| 4 | | 4 | | 1 | | |
| realise |
1 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | |
| recognise |
8 | 9 | 1 | | 4 | 7 | 1 | |
| sympathise |
2 | | 3 | | | | | |
| totals |
22 | 53 | 9 | 40 |
7 | 15 | 6 | 1 |
Vol 25 1829
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
2 | 1 | | | | 2 | | |
| authorise |
| 5 | | | | 2 | | |
| characterise |
| | 1 | | 2 | 4 | | |
| civilise |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | 7 |
| criticise |
| | | | 2 | | | |
| monopolise |
1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| organise |
| 3 | | 1 | | | | |
| realise |
5 | 6 | | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |
| recognise |
1 | | | | 6 | 16 | 3 | |
| sympathise |
2 | | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| totals |
11 | 27 | 4 | 5 |
13 | 32 | 6 | 7 |
Vol 33 1833
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
2 | | 2 | | | | | |
| authorise |
3 | 9 | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| characterise |
| 1 | | | 5 | 10 | 1 | |
| civilise |
| 19 | 1 | | | | | 25 |
| criticise |
| | | | 4 | 1 | | |
| monopolise |
| 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| organise |
4 | 20 | 1 | 11 | | | | |
| realise |
5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | | 1 | | |
| recognise |
1 | | | | 12 | 17 | 2 | |
| sympathise |
8 | 1 | 4 | | | | | |
| totals |
23 | 60 | 12 | 13 |
21 | 30 | 3 | 25 |
Vol 40 1836
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| authorise |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | | 1 | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 7 | 5 | | 1 |
| civilise |
1 | 18 | | | | | | 8 |
| criticise |
| 1 | | | 2 | | | |
| monopolise |
| 4 | | | | | | |
| organise |
1 | 8 | 3 | 8 | | | | |
| realise |
2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | | | | |
| recognise |
| 1 | | | 18 | 16 | 3 | |
| sympathise |
4 | | 2 | | 1 | | | |
| totals |
8 | 45 | 10 | 12 |
28 | 22 | 3 | 9 |
Vol 46 1839
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
1 | 1 | | | 1 | | 1 | |
| authorise |
| 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 6 | 10 | | |
| civilise |
2 | 31 | | | | 1 | | 32 |
| criticise |
| | | | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| monopolise |
1 | | | | | | | |
| organise |
1 | 9 | 5 | 8 | | | | |
| realise |
8 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | | |
| recognise |
| | | | 13 | 26 | 2 | |
| sympathise |
4 | 2 | 1 | | | | | |
| totals |
17 | 56 | 11 | 14 |
23 | 41 | 4 | 32 |
Vol 57 1845
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | 3 | | 2 | |
| authorise |
1 | 2 | | | | | | |
| characterise |
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | |
| civilise |
| 20 | | 15 | | | | |
| criticise |
| 2 | | | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | | | |
| organise |
6 | 1 | | 10 | | | | |
| realise |
1 | 5 | | 2 | | | | |
| recognise |
1 | 4 | | | 6 | 8 | 3 | |
| sympathise |
9 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| totals |
23 | 38 | 2 | 28 |
10 | 10 | 7 | |
Vol 60 1846
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | | | 1 | |
| authorise |
| | | | | 1 | | |
| characterise |
1 | | | | 3 | 6 | 1 | |
| civilise |
4 | 12 | | | | 11 | | 31 |
| criticise |
| | | | 1 | 2 | | |
| monopolise |
1 | 1 | | | | 1 | 1 | |
| organise |
1 | 2 | | 4 | 1 | 5 | | 3 |
| realise |
| 2 | | 2 | 1 | 7 | | 5 |
| recognise |
| | | | 23 | 26 | 5 | |
| sympathise |
| | 1 | | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| totals |
7 | 17 | 1 | 6 |
31 | 61 | 9 | 39 |
Vol 62 1847
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | | | | |
| authorise |
| | | | | | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 3 | 7 | 3 | |
| civilise |
| | | | | 15 | 1 | 18 |
| criticise |
| | | | 4 | | 2 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| organise |
| | | | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| realise |
| 1 | | | 7 | 13 | 3 | 4 |
| recognise |
| | | | 15 | 28 | 5 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 4 | 2 | 3 | |
| totals |
| 1 | | |
37 | 70 | 19 | 28 |
Vol 64 1848
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | 3 | 1 | | |
| authorise |
| | | | | 1 | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 7 | 11 | 1 | |
| civilise |
| | | | 1 | 42 | 1 | 42 |
| criticise |
| | | | 2 | | 1 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | 2 | 1 | |
| organise |
| | | | 2 | 11 | 1 | 9 |
| realise |
| | | | 6 | 17 | 3 | 13 |
| recognise |
| | | | 16 | 22 | 4 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 6 | | 4 | |
| totals |
| | | |
43 | 97 | 16 | 64 |
Vol 81 1857 (American edition)
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | | 1 | 1 | |
| authorise |
| | | | 1 | 1 | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 2 | 9 | | |
| civilise |
| 1 | | | 1 | 15 | | 23 |
| criticise |
| | | | | | 1 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | 3 | 1 | |
| organise |
| | | | 1 | 8 | 1 | 10 |
| realise |
| 1 | | | 2 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| recognise |
| | 1 | | 19 | 31 | 2 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 7 | | 1 | |
| totals |
| 2 | 1 | |
33 | 78 | 12 | 38 |
Vol 91 1862
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | 2 | 1 | | |
| authorise |
| | | | 2 | 2 | | |
| characterise |
| | | | 1 | 4 | | |
| civilise |
| | | | | 21 | | 23 |
| criticise |
| | | | 4 | 6 | 1 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | 1 | | | |
| organise |
| | | | 2 | 5 | | 11 |
| realise |
| | | | 15 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| recognise |
| | | | 17 | 29 | 2 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| totals |
| | | |
43 | 79 | 7 | 36 |
Vol 108 1870
| Verb | -ize | -ise |
| -ize | -ized | -izing | -ization | -ise | -ised | -ising | -isation |
| apologise |
| | | | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| authorise |
| | | | | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| characterise |
| | | | | 5 | | |
| civilise |
| | | | | 22 | | 19 |
| criticise |
| | | | 1 | | 1 | |
| monopolise |
| | | | | 1 | | |
| organise |
| | | | 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| realise |
| | | | 15 | 8 | 3 | |
| recognise |
| | | | 22 | 26 | 1 | |
| sympathise |
| | | | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| totals |
| | | |
49 | 73 | 11 | 27 |
Links
About Blackwood's Magazine
Sources for Blackwood's (apart from Google Books)
Other
Blackwood's Magazine at Google Books
- NF = Not found
- O&B = Oliver & Boyd (printer)
- JB&Co = James Ballantyne & Co (printer
- B&Co = Ballantyne & Co (printer
- B&H = Ballantyne & Hughes (printer
- WB = William Blackwood (printer
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