Which witch is the good witch?

Question

Gosh, there's no section for English and Grammar.
(What a shame!)
I'm a word lover yet even I am confused with this -

Isn't it correct to say Preventive vs. Preventative?

And isn't it also correct to say Argumentive vs. Argumentive?

Both choices of the former are apparently correct, yet only one of the latter is correct.

Here I thought Preventative was wrong!

Either I'm losing some brain cells or the English language has become so botched, I can't see straight.

Oops, I meant Argumentive vs. Argumentative.

Oh, crap...even I'm confusing myself.

Yes, Yes!
I meant Argumentative to be the correct word. This is how confusing it gets sometimes!!
Aaargh.
So, I was right.
Thanks!

AIRQ8 - Yes, all very strange.
Very, very strange indeed.
And why is it people lately are referring to fish in the plural sense as fishes?
The word is still FISH!!

Then we should all change deer to deers, which I've actually heard. (Shudder.)

Answer 1

“As Churchill said; ‘English is a language very easy to speak badly.’

True... English is the most spoken language in our planet! But let me tell you the rtuth, English is a crazy language!

You see;
1. There isnt egg in eggplant!
2. No butter in buttermilk!!
3. Do you see any grape in a grapefruit???
4. Neither pine nor apple in a pineapple!!!!

Even better.....
1. English muffins werent invented in England
2. French fries werent invented in France
3. Danish pastries werent invented in Denmark
4. A guinea pig is neither a pig nor from Guinea

Can you see a lipstick as in a lip that sticks?
or a foot that prints to give footprints???

If tooth plural is teeth, what is the plural of booth? Shouldnt it bee beeth? and the same goes for.....
1 goose= 2 geese, then 1 moose = 2 meese?

I dont get how a slim chance and a fat chance be the same

Are English speakers verbally insane????

Answer 2

In the latter, I think you mean "Argumentive vs. Argumentative", right? In this case, argumentative is the correct word. I couldn't tell you why there's a discrepancy between the uses of these four words--just one of those quirky English things!

Answer 3

I would vote for the missing brain cells,
but I have to go with a language, botched.
;)

Answer 4

And then there's the disappearance of the irregular past, e.g. swimmed, dived, dealed, etc instead of swam, dove, dealt. Sometimes, I just want to cry.

Answer 5

preventive and preventative are both acceptable and mean the same thing.

only agrumentative is correct. agrumentive is not a word!