Revised as of
23 Oct 2022
Got reminded of this word confusion while reading a newly released action suspense story. I have to say, I was really impressed that a male dog could give birth let alone a wide one, that or maybe it was a cheap way to produce another ship . . . hmmm . . .
| On the One Hand . . . | . . . and On the Other Hand |
|---|---|
| It was a live berth.
An available place to park your boat or to sleep. |
It was a live birth.
The baby was born alive. |
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Berth | Birth |
|---|---|
Gelendzhik Berth with Pleasure Craft by Alexxx1979 is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikipedia Commons. |
Childbirth is in the public domain, via Pxfuel. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: berths Third person present verb: berths |
Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: births Third person present verb: births |
| Noun: Ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock Space for an automotive vehicle at rest [Informal (often in a sports context)] Situation or position in an organization or event Sufficient distance for maneuvering a ship An amount of distance maintained for safety Fixed bed or bunk on a ship, train, or other means of transport Verb, intransitive: Verb, transitive: [Of a passenger ship] Provide a sleeping place for someone |
Adjective: Biological See also the definition for noun below * Noun: The start of life as a physically separate being [When used with an adjective] A baby born * Beginning or coming into existence of something Origin, descent, or ancestry High or noble descent [Archaic] One that is born Verb, intransitive: Verb, transitive: Give rise to Give birth to |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: Today’s victory clinched a berth for the Orioles in the playoffs. They gave him a wide berth. Losing that game, lost Amelia her berth on the team. Verb, intransitive: He’s allergic to dogs, and he gives them a wide berth. Verb, transitive: With the tugboats unavailable, the captain had to berth his ship on his own. |
Adjective: She is his birth mother. They’re not his birth parents. Noun: Despite a difficult birth he’s fit and healthy. * The overall rate of incidence of Down syndrome is one in every 800 live births. The birth of democracy. The mother is American by birth. She was proud of her beauty and her birth. Verb, intransitive: A study showed that residents of Ile aux Coudres would have birthed their first child by age 22. Verb, transitive: New York is the city that gives birth to artists. Her efforts gave birth to a new business. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Verb, transitive: unberth | Adjective: birthing Noun: birthplace, childbirth, multibirth |
| History of the Word: | |
| The first known use was in the 15th century.
Merriam-Webster states that berth is derived from the Middle English birth and is probably from beren meaning to bear + -th. Early 17th century, in the sense of adequate sea room. |
The first known use was in the 13th century.
Merriam-Webster states that birth is Middle English from the Old Norse byrth and is akin to the Old English beran. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Berth versus Birth
Apple Dictionary.com
Merriam-Webster: birthing
Pinterest Photo Credits
Once the Puppies Were Born (<https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianharringtonspier/3261544538/in/photolist-5Ydgyw>), 8 February 2009, Darvaz, Tajikistan, by Brian Harrington Spier and Sailboat by RealMichael are under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Racing by Heather Temske is under the CC BY 2.0 license and Diamond Harbour, Bulk Carrier by Bernard Spragg. NZ, is in the public domain. These four are via Flickr.
Tugboat in the Harbor, <https://visualhunt.com/photo/14743/>, Antwerp, Belgium, and Tugboats Abandoned, <https://visualhunt.com/photo/194288/>, are in the public domain while Tugs Under a Stormy Sky, <https://visualhunt.com/f2/photo/2501174026/b97f185f87/>, by stevehdc, <https://visualhunt.com/author/eb6385>, is under the CC BY 2.0 license; all three are via VisualHunt.
