Incorrect spelling, explanation: a common English mistake is to spell the word humorous as humourous, which is wrong. The mistake is probably the result of the fact that the word humor can also be spelled as humour and that’s why some English users think that the same happens with humorous.
Correct spelling, explanation: a popular English adjective humorous comes from the word humor, which has a Latin origin in the word humere. Back then, however, the meaning of the word was completely different to the one we know today as it meant moisture or humid. In the late Middle, English humorous started to get a closer meaning to the contemporary one.
Definition of humorous:
1. adjective – something funny, which makes you laugh;
He’s life and soul of every party because he always has some humorous comment about everything, which makes everyone laugh their heads off.
Collocations with humorous:
Some common collocations include: find something humorous, quite humorous, darkly humorous;
The film hasn’t got good reviews, but I found it humorous.
The book is quite a humorous look at marriage and the problems couples struggle with.
His latest piece of writing is a darkly humorous novel, which has pretty good reviews so far.
Incorrect spelling
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I’m not so sure, Paul may be right, look at this excerpt:
The Oxford Companion to the English Language (2 ed.)
Reference type: Subject Reference
Current Version: 2018
Subject: Language reference, History of English, Linguistics
Length: 195 words
… but has more recently become widespread throughout social media . The use of hashtags is not regulated (i.e. there is no protocol) in any way and users can invent hashtags in an ad hoc way. There is a wide range of uses for hashtags, from tracking purposes (e.g. #Brexit ) to humourous purposes (e.g. #nichespanishjoke ). Hashtag as a new word was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2014 . Hashtags have an extended use beyond social media and online communication and are regularly found incorporated into television programs, print media,…
Manzel is very much, correct. Thanks Manzel!
Booo Paul!!
Response to Paul:
While the British noun “Humour” is correctly spelled with the ‘u’ in place, when it is used as an adjective the ‘u’ is dropped, even in British English: i.e. “Humorous”.
You will find it so in any British dictionary (Oxford, Britannica, etc.)
humourous in only “incorrect” for a subset of English speakers. For the vast majority it is actually the correct spelling.
You may want to consider broadening your horizons beyond the somewhat myopic perception that North America is the bulk of the English speaking world.
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