Quote:
Originally Posted by yvanleterrible
As someone learning English, I find this ise/ize confusing since It's imossible to find any references on this...
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You're not the only one!
Generally, in US and Canadian English -ize is used, in British and Australian English, -ise is used; and there is no real hard and fast rule (except where the word has no alternative ending
(eg capsize is always capsize and not capsise)).
In England, Oxford University Press uses -ize and Cambridge University Press uses -ise
Going back a bit, -ize is the Greek ending, -ise the Latin
If you want to get even more confused by it, try this as a starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...s#-ise.2C_-ize
Sticking -ise or -ize on the end of a word that really shouldn't have it, such as incentive, is just creating buzzwords to make the business sound forward thinking and with it, or some other such nonsense. (I know language evolves, but really - incentivise?
)