They are the sports team on every Australian’s lips. He The mighty Matildas are just two wins away. to achieve possibly the greatest sporting achievement ever achieved by our country.
So why – amid all the passion for the Matildas and the media frenzy that accompanies them – can’t so many of us spell their damn name correctly? Social networks have been flooded with fans congratulating the Matilda – not the Matildas – about her success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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It’s just a little misplaced apostrophe, but it’s infuriating spelling and grammar pedants. After all, sport is about the one percent, right?
Even ABC’s Media Watch – the self-proclaimed guardian of journalistic morals and standards – is putting an apostrophe where it’s not necessary. Grammar and football lovers have come together to draw attention to this crime against the English language.
They argue that we don’t call the Socceroos football or the kangaroos kangaroo – So why are we filling in Matildas’ name?
Expert explains the correct grammar behind Matildas
Jonathon Lum is a linguistics expert from the University of Melbourne and a huge football fan. He sympathizes with those fighting against the Matildas (or Matilda as some prefer: spelling and offered some reasons.
“I think there are at least some factors that might make it more likely that people will use an apostrophe in the name Matilda “Compared to a lot of other words or names,” he told Yahoo Sport Australia. “Maybe people aren’t as familiar with the name.” Matildas still. As many have pointed out recently, the Matildas have not always received as much public attention.
“And the name Matildas refers to a group of people, and people are usually possessors. This means that we often see the end. ‘s with a name – for example Kerr goal, Arnold saveetc
“This may have an effect on the way some people write the name of a plural noun, which ends in the same sound. Because we are not as familiar with plural nouns, we are more likely to write the plural in a wrong way’.”
Simple Answer Behind Common Matildas Mistake
There may also be a simpler, more plausible reason for all the errors. Autocorrect!
It seems that the perennial benefactor – the one who likes to think for us – is offering Matilda as a common spelling for Australia’s most popular sports team. But, as one Matildas fan told us: “Who cares how it’s spelled as long as our name is on the World Cup!”
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