Re: "role" vs. "r\^ole"

Steve Vickers, aka s.j.vickers@cs.bham.ac.uk , notes

Fowler (I have the 1965 edition) says, "there being no other word 'role' from which it has to be kept distinct, both the italics and the accent might well be abandoned."

Same words almost exactly, but for the "and" above taking the form of an "&", in my 1952 reprint of the 1937 (twice corrected) version of the 1911 edition. Fowler takes a dim view of -- one might even say, rails against -- the use of French words in English: his article "French words" begins, "Display of superior knowledge is as great a vulgarity as display of superior wealth -- greater, indeed, inasmuch as knowledge should tend more definitely than wealth towards discretion & good manners." Salut :-) , -- Fred