Talk:Autarchy

Language Problems

This statement is wrong:

Autarchy should not be confused with "autarky", which is a closed economic system centered on self-sufficiency.

Autarchy is Autarky, I believe the difference in spelling is a contrast between Britsh English and American English. Here's a British website that agrees... --JDnCoke 17:46, 2 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No, I believe the original statement was correct. The OED gives no suggestion that the term "autarky" is confined to the US, it has been in use in the UK over 3 centuries. However, confusingly, "autarchy" is listed as an alternative spelling for "autarky". Unless there are any objections I will remove all mention of the UK/US distinction from this pair of pages. Bosmon 23:33, 9 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I listed a source to the contrary, personally I have never come across the word Autarky until recently, I'll have to fish out a British Dictionary sometime but I'm very sure that the words are different. --JDnCoke 16:29, 30 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Seconded. For me too this is the first time I have encountered 'autarky'. Matthew 13:51, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a well-respected British source, The Economist, defining "Autarky" in economic terms: [1]. Here is another well-respected source defining "Autarchy" in political terms: [2]. <nowiki></nowiki>—[[User:Thames|thames]] 15:04, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not too convinced that The Economist should be held up as an example of typical British usage, given that about half of its readership is in the US. A good example of why not to would be The Economist's use of double inverted commas for speech - conventional British use is to use single inverted commas. I'll consult Fowler's Guide to Modern English Usage when I get chance to and see what that says on the matter of 'autarchy'/'autarky'. Matthew 13:25, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]