If you have used the word 'till', you have probably used it incorrectly. Till is something you do to soil. It's a verb. It is not a synonym for the words 'until'.
The word you're looking for is 'til. You know it is the right word because 'until' only has one l in it, and so does 'til. In fact, 'til is just 'until' without the 'un-' in the front. In fact, that's why there is an apostrophe in 'til; apostrophes indicate that letters have been removed.
I don't often talk about spelling or grammar things on Cheff Salad. I largely do not care for such debatable subjects, especially when I could take either side of the debate. But this is one of the subjects that I do feel strongly about. I find 'til to be one of the more beautiful parts of our language. It is totally logical and easy to use. It largely exists because we said it so much that we wanted a way to write it, which we made. But for as easy and simple as the word is, people don't understand it, which is why they use a completely different word that seems right, but couldn't be more wrong.
If you are a writer, then words are all you've got. Make sure you're using the right words.
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I suggest you check a good usage guide or a dictionary. "Till" is the correct word. The Oxford English Dictionary attests its usage as early as the 13th century. It actually predates "until"; it is NOT a contraction for "until", and it's more likely "until" is derived from "till" than the other way around. The contraction-spelling "'til" doesn't occur until well into the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteHere's the Chicago Manual of Style: "Till. This is a perfectly good preposition and conjunction (open till 10 p.m.). It is not a contraction of until and should not be written 'til."
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage: "If you are writing for publication, you will do will to spell it till."
Garner's Modern English Usage: "Till is, like until, a bona fide preposition and conjunction. Though less formal than until, till is neither colloquial nor substandard."
The AP Stylebook: "Always till, never 'til'"
Fowler's Modern English Usage (the first edition!): "till, until: The first is the usual form."
So, to summarize: Spelling it "'til" may be alright for colloquial writing, but in formal contexts it is definitely considered a mistake.
Thanks for the comment. I didn't notice until just now that it was in my spam folder. No idea why it got filtered.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, while I respect that standard written English disagrees with me, I respectfully disagree with standard written English.
There are some rules we have that I proudly break because the rules are silly and wrong (like putting punctuation inside of quotation marks and omitting oxford commas). If, in my research, I find a good reason for "till" to maintain this usage in present day, I will retract this sentiment, but until then, I will say that "till" is archaic, much like trying to use "gay" to mean happy.