Word Confusion: Currant versus Current

Posted November 11, 2013 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
1 July 2023

Currently, I’m all out of currants, and I reckon I’ll substitute raisins instead for my hot cross buns.

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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Currant Current

Bowl of Currants by Alexei (other) is in the public domain, via PxHere.


Electrical Towers is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay.

Power lines carry current to homes, factories, and more.

Part of Grammar:
Noun

Plural: currants

Adjective; Noun

Plural for the noun: currents

Small dried fruit made from a seedless variety of grape originally grown in the eastern Mediterranean region, now widely produced in California, and much used in cooking

Eurasian shrub that produces small edible black, red, or white berries

  • The genus, Ribes, includes numerous species, including black currant and red currant
  • Berry from such a shrub
Adjective:
Belonging to the present time

Happening or being used or done now

  • In common or general use

Noun:
A body of water or air moving in a definite direction, especially through a surrounding body of water or air in which there is less movement

  • A flow of electricity which results from the ordered directional movement of electrically charged particles
  • A quantity representing the rate of flow of electric charge, usually measured in amperes
  • The general tendency or course of events or opinion
Examples:
My recipe calls for currants.

Currants are a fresh bush-grown berry that is tart rather than sweet.

Gooseberries, buffalo currants, and jostaberries are related to currants.

Adjective:
I keep abreast of current events.

I started my current job last year.

The other meaning of the word is still current.

Noun:
Ocean currents can be treacherous.

Be careful! The current is very strong.

The student movement formed a distinct current of protest.

Derivatives:
Adjective: noncurrent, precurrent, uncurrent,
Adverb: currently, noncurrently
History of the Word:
Originally, it was the Middle English raisons of Corauntz, from the Anglo-Norman French raisins de Corauntz which means grapes of Corinth. Amazing how language evolves . . . Middle English meaning running, flowing from the Old French corant, meaning running, from courre meaning run, which is from the Latin currere, which means run.

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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.

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Resources for Currant versus Current

Apple Dictionary.com

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Preparing Redcurrant Jelly by Amanda Slater is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

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