Understanding the Nuances: Amend vs. Emend Explained

Difference Between Amend and Emend

The words “amend” and “emend” are often confused because they sound alike. However, they have different meanings and uses. Let’s explore these two words.

History of the Words

Amend: The word “amend” comes from Old French “amender,” which means to make better or to correct. People have used this word for many years to talk about making changes, especially in rules or laws.

Emend: The word “emend” comes from Latin “emendare,” which also means to correct. It is mainly related to making corrections in texts or written materials.

How to Use the Words

Amend: Use “amend” when you want to talk about making changes to improve something like a law, a document, or a situation.

Emend: Use “emend” when you are fixing errors in written texts, like books or articles.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Think “A” in amend is for “Alter or Adjust” and “E” in emend is for “Edit.” Amend deals with changing to improve, while emend is about fixing mistakes in writing.

Example Sentences with “Amend”

• They decided to amend the law to make it fair for everyone.
• I will amend my report before I submit it to my teacher.
• The company wants to amend its policy on vacation time.
• After hearing complaints, the team decided to amend their rules.
• We need to amend the contract before signing it.

Example Sentences with “Emend”

• The editor will emend the mistakes in the manuscript.
• I had to emend the spelling errors in my essay.
• The teacher emended my text to make it clearer.
• He worked hard to emend the historical documents.
• Before publishing, the author will emend the draft.

Summary

To sum up, use “amend” when you need to change and improve something like a rule or policy. Use “emend” when you are correcting mistakes in writing. Remember, “amend” is to improve and “emend” is to edit errors.