How can the word "dispatch" be spelled "despatch" and still be correct?

Here's the only 'why' I can offer...

[quote]early 16th century: from Italian dispacciare or Spanish despachar ‘expedite’, from dis-, des- (expressing reversal)[/quote]

Often, the best dictionaries provide the origin of words.



@FrankietheFly

Yes, but language evolves from usage - and words are incorporated from other languages - and people use the words they use.

All spelling really is, is the consensus of how we will put those letters together so we recognize the word when we see it.

I don't think everybody necessarily signed the spelling covenant. @FrankietheFly

As you wish.

You can always spell it the way you believe to be correct, and refuse to recognize what you believe to be a corruption.@FrankietheFly

This will work just fine until somebody you don't know emails you with

"We have just received an urgent despatch from the Ministry of National Security..."@FrankietheFly

Also - somebody who uses that word has likely been reading literature not written in this century or the last...@FrankietheFly