What is the correct spelling of that canvas structure that you attach to the side of your caravan to provide an extra room?
The answer depends on whether you prefer to adopt the British or American usage, and even then there seems to be inconsistencies.
Annex
In America, the word annex is considered to be both a noun and a verb.
- As a verb, it means to append or attach.
- As a noun, it means an extension to a main building or something added or annexed.
So technically they would refer to a canvas extension as an annex, although I can’t find anything to suggest that they actually attach canvas rooms to their caravans.
Annexe
In British English, annexe is a noun meaning an addition to a building (or a document, but that’s a different matter).
Annex is the verb. We therefore annex a room to the caravan.
Perhaps then we annex the annexe.
What does Macquarie say?
The online Macquarie Dictionary is considered to be the most up-to-
Annexe noun
1. a subsidiary building or an addition to a building.
2. something annexed.
What does Peppercorn say?
We use the British and Macquarie spelling of annexe as a noun.
A similar situation arises when discussing a skirt for your caravan. Is it a draught skirt or a draft skirt?
